Rescue operatives are having a torrid time recovering bodies after a boat capsized on Malale River in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State at about 3pm on Wednesday May 26.
Reports say over 156 people have been declared missing and are feared dead when the incident occurred after the boat left Malale in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger as it was heading to Kebbi State.
The number of deaths remains uncertain as rescue operations are ongoing in the area. About 180 persons were said to have been aboard the boat which capsized 30 minutes after taking off from Loko Mina in Niger State.
According to Mary Noel-Berje, a spokeswoman for the Niger State government, the incident took place early Wednesday, May 26, when the boat carrying about 180 passengers left Loko Mina in Niger State at about 7.30 am and was heading to a market in Kebbi State.
The wooden boat capsized near Wara, a town on the shores of Kainji Lake, part of the Niger River, said Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for the governor of Kebbi.
Around 20 people have been rescued and four bodies recovered so far, Mary Noel-Berje said, adding that the search and rescue operations are ongoing while survivors were taken to the hospital for treatment.
