103 people killed in Nigeria boat mishap

Abuja, June 14

At least 103 people were killed and about 100 others were rescued after a boat capsized in the country's central state of Kwara, police said.

The accident occurred on Monday morning in a river in the Patigi local government area of the state, as the passengers were returning home from the neighbouring Niger state in the central region, Ajayi Okasanmi, the spokesman for the police in Kwara, told Xinhua on Tuesday on the phone.

Okasanmi said some others remained missing, confirming that rescue operation was going on in the Kpada community of Patigi local government area, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I can confirm to you that well over 200 people were involved in the sad incident. We will continue to collaborate with rescuers and other agencies of government to rescue the remaining victims and recover other bodies," the police officer added.

In an earlier statement, Kwara state governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq said the victims of the incident were returning from a wedding in the neighbouring Niger state when the incident occurred.

Boat accidents in the West African country are frequently reported due to overloading, bad weather, and faulty operations.