It is estimated that up to 100 persons died in an accident on the Niger River after the boat capsized early on Monday.
According to eyewitnesses, the boat was transporting wedding guests who were travelling back to Kwara State following a ceremony in neighbouring Niger State, both of which are located in central Nigeria.
Local reports indicate that the passengers were from Kpada, Egbu and Gakpan villages in Kwara and that the wedding had been held in Egboti village in Niger State.
It was gathered that the boat hit something in the water and then capsized. Search and rescue operations have been ongoing since Monday.
Similar accidents have occurred in the past in the vicinity of the junction of the Niger and Benue rivers, two of the longest in Africa.
A boat capsized in the same region of the Niger in May 2021. In that accident, as many as 160 individuals perished.
