More than two dozen people died and upward of 100 people, mostly women, were missing on Friday, after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized along the Niger River in northern Nigeria, authorities said. About 200 passengers were on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to the neighboring state of Niger when it capsized, a Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman told the AP. Rescuers managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others, according to a spokeswoman for the Kogi state emergency services. No survivors had been found about 12 hours after the incident occurred, she added.
Authorities haven't confirmed what caused the sinking, but local media suggested the boat may have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria where the lack of good roads leaves many with no alternative routes. According to Justin Uwazuruonye, who's in charge of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, rescuers had trouble finding the location of the capsizing for hours after Friday's tragedy struck.
Such deadly incidents are increasingly becoming a source of concern in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transportation. Most of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance of the boats, often built locally to accommodate as many passengers as possible in defiance of safety measures. Also, authorities haven't been able to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips, often due to cost or lack of availability.
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