16 feared dead as boat capsizes in Nigeria

JOHANNESBURG

At least 16 people are feared dead after a boat capsized Sunday in Nigeria’s northern Sokoto state, officials said.

“19 persons survived the tragedy, 1 dead body was removed from the river while 16 persons, including women and children, are still missing,’’ Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency said on social media platform X.

According to local media reports, over 30 passengers were using the wooden boat to cross a river heading to their farmlands. Boat accidents have become frequent in Africa’s most populous nation.