Boat Capsizes In Nigeria, At Least 60 Dead

At least 60 people have died after a boat, carrying mostly women and children returning from a religious festival, capsized in Nigeria's northern Niger state this week, according to a local official.

About 160 individuals have been rescued after the wooden boat, which was ferrying nearly 300 passengers, sank on Tuesday night in the River Niger near the Gbajibo Community, said Jibril Abdullahi Muregi, chairman of the Mokwa local government area.

The boat was returning to Gbajibo from Mundi after the annual Maulud celebration when the tragedy occurred, Muregi stated in a report late on Wednesday.

Rescue operations are still ongoing, he noted.

The cause of the sinking has not yet been determined.

Overcrowding and poor maintenance are often cited as the main reasons for boat accidents on Nigerian waterways.