28 die, seven missing as boat carrying over 100 passengers capsizes in Niger

Twenty eight persons have been confirmed dead when a boat with over 100 passengers capsized at Tijana in Munya local government area of Niger state.

While 65 persons were rescued, seven passengers are still missing Director General of the Niger state Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Mallam Ahmed Inga, said on Sunday.

The incident occurred around 6pm on Sunday.

Inga said local divers recovered 15 bodies on Saturday while 13 more were recovered on Sunday during a joint effort of the agency and local divers.

He said the search for the missing bodies is ongoing.

Inga further said among the 65 rescued passengers were men, women and children.

Passengers of the boats were returning from a local market in Zumba in Shiroro local government area.

Head of Zumba market, Mallam Adamu Ahmed, said local divers were still searching for more bodies.

He stated the boat capsized due to heavy windstorm.

He also disclosed some of the victims were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returning to the camp in Zumba after dashing home to pick food items. Punch