Boat capsizes in Nigeria leaving 100 wedding guests dead

Search for survivors continues after 3am sinking

The boat capsized in the early hours of Monday morning on the Niger River. Reuters

About 100 people are believed dead after a boat carrying residents returning from a wedding capsized in northern Nigeria, police and residents said on Tuesday.

The boat capsized early Monday on the Niger River in the state of Kwara close to neighbouring Niger, police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi said.

The victims, including women and children, were returning from an overnight wedding ceremony in the village of Egboti in Niger, said resident Usman Ibrahim.

It was not immediately clear if there were survivors.

“People in the boat were to take their bikes to their various communities (upon disembarking). The boat was carrying more than 100 people when it sank,” Mr Ibrahim told AP.

Many of the victims drowned because the accident happened at about 3am and no one knew of it until hours later, he said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, officials and locals were still searching for bodies in the river, which is one of Nigeria’s largest.

Boat accidents are common in many remote communities across Nigeria where locally made vessels are commonly used for transport. Most accidents are attributed to overloading and the use of poorly maintained boats.