Death Toll From Boat Accident in Nigeria Over 100 

More than 100 people are dead after a boat capsized on the Niger River in northern Nigeria Monday night.


Police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi told reporters late Tuesday the boat was traveling in the western state of Kwara during the pre-dawn hours when the disaster occurred. He said many of the passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony in nearby Niger state.


Officials say several children were among those who died in the accident. Ajayi said at least 103 were killed in the accident, while 100 people or more have been rescued.


Searchers are still looking for more victims, so the death toll may rise.


Kwara state Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq issued a statement expressing his condolences to the families.


River boat accidents are common in Nigeria due to a combination of overcrowding, poor maintenance and lax safety regulations. At least 15 children died back in May when a boat capsized while traveling through the northwestern state of Sokoto.


The 4,184 kilometer long Niger is the main river in western Africa, originating in Guinea and cutting a path through the Niger Delta before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.


Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.