At least 27 people died after a boat capsized on the Niger River in Nigeria. The local emergency management agency gave this information on Friday. A spokesman for the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency said the final death toll from the accident late Thursday night would be known after search and rescue operations are over.
Musa told Reuters that 27 bodies had been recovered so far, but rescue operations were still ongoing. A spokesman for the National Inland Waterways Authority said the boats, mostly traders from the Missa community in central Kogi state, were headed to a weekly market in neighboring Niger state. The spokesperson said that none of the passengers were wearing life jackets, which significantly increased the risk of death.