Nigeria: nearly 150 missing after a shipwreck on the Niger river
This Thursday, May 27 at midday, only four bodies had been recovered after the sinking in Nigeria.
© AFP
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An overloaded boat sank on Wednesday May 26 in northwest Nigeria.
Authorities fear most of the passengers have drowned.
In a statement, President Muhammadu Buhari called the accident "
appalling
" and offered his condolences to the families.
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The boat came from Niger state in central Nigeria and was heading to Kebbi state in the north.
According to local waterways official Yusuf Birma, 180 people were on board, while the boat's capacity was much less.
The same official specifies that it was an old wooden boat, in poor condition, also loaded with bags of sand extracted from a neighboring gold mine, and which sank after an hour.
So far, four bodies have been recovered and only 20 people have been found alive.
"
The other 156 passengers are missing
" and are "
probably underwater
," added Yusuf Birma.
Boat capsize are common on Nigeria's rivers and streams, especially during the rainy season.
Vessels are indeed often overloaded and poorly maintained.
But this accident, if the results are confirmed, should be one of the deadliest in recent years.
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