10 body discovered after ship wrecked in Niger River
An overcrowded boat carrying around 100 passengers split in two on Wednesday, according to a local official, and ten dead were pulled from the Niger River in Nigeria's northern Kebbi state. The old boat, which was travelling across the river in the Koko-Besse district, split in two when it got close to the village of Samanaji.
It had taken on passengers "way beyond its capacity," said Yahaya Bello Koko, a district official.
"We found 10 passengers with the help of local divers, and we are still looking for 10 more," he said.
They "are presumed drowned, considering the number of hours they spent in the river," Koko said.
He said that more than 80 passengers were saved.
There was no instant access to federal or state officials.
In Nigeria, boating mishaps are frequent. They are frequently connected to excessive speed, poorly maintained equipment, overloaded ships, and flouting of navigational regulations.
At least 80 individuals lost their lives in two shipwrecks in October.
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