Overloaded boat capsizes in Sokoto, authorities recover about 40 child victims
An overloaded vessel overturned in Sokoto state, and officials say roughly 40 children’s bodies have been retrieved.
On Thursday morning an overcrowded boat capsized in Nigeria’s north-western Sokoto state while people were heading to rice planting or harvesting sites. Abdulkadir Yusuf, area manager for the National Inland Waterways Authority, announced that around 40 children’s bodies have been recovered so far. Traditional authority figure Sarkin Daji described the vessel as overloaded, and local resident Nasiru Gorau reported that divers are still retrieving remains.
The tragedy highlights the persistent danger of unsafe water transport in Nigeria, where similar incidents, such as a January capsizing in Yobe state that killed at least 25, are common. Recovery efforts are ongoing, and authorities have not provided a final death toll yet.
Why it matters
Highlights the deadly risk of unsafe boat travel in Nigeria, especially for children.
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