At least 40 missing after boat capsizes in northwestern Nigeria
Accident is the latest in a series of deadly boat mishaps on Nigerian waterways
People travel by a boat as search and rescue operations continue following a boat accident, in a place given as Sokoto State, Nigeria, in this handout image released on August 17, 2025. National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria/Handout via REUTERS
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At least 40 people are missing after a boat capsized Sunday on a river in northwestern Nigeria, authorities said.
The accident happened around the Goronyo area in Sokoto state while the boat was transporting passengers to a market, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement late Sunday.
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The emergency agency said only 10 people have been rescued as teams continue search and rescue efforts in the area.
The accident is the latest in a series of deadly boat mishaps on Nigerian waterways. Such accidents are common in remote communities during the rainy season, often caused by overloaded and poorly maintained vessels.
Last month, a boat transporting passengers to a market in north-central Nigeria capsized, killing at least 25 people.
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At least 326 people died in boat accidents in Nigeria in 2024, according to a count by TheCable, a local media outlet.
Analysts say many boats operate without life jackets, blaming weak enforcement by regulatory authorities.
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