15 killed as overloaded boat capsizes in northwest Nigeria

By Olanrewaju Kola

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA) – At least 15 people were drowned when a passenger vessel carrying them to a religious event capsized in a river in northwest Nigeria, a local official said on Thursday.

Aliyu Dantani, the head of Shagari Local Government in Sokoto State, told Anadolu Agency that the vessel was transporting some people to a town in the district for a religious event commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad. The vessel capsized because it was overloaded, he added.

"The accident occurred on Tuesday, but we didn't know until it was too late,” he said, adding that “On Wednesday, we mobilized for evacuation, and 15 bodies were taken out. They’ve been buried."

The district is in mourning and receiving condolences, the official said.

It is the second boat accident this month in the country, with 76 people dead two weeks ago when their overcrowded boat tipped over owing to flooding in southeastern Anambra state.