At least 29 feared dead after boat capsized on Nigerian river

LAGOS, TGO: At least 29 people, including five children, are dead after a boat capsized in western Nigeria, a local official told dpa on Wednesday.

Aliyu Dantani said the boat went down while on the Shagari River in the north-western state of Sokoto on Tuesday. It’s not clear how many people were on board.

Dantani said rescue efforts are under way.

Boats are often loaded far past recommended capacity on Nigeria’s waterways, making such accidents unfortunately frequent. Many of the boats are also in poor condition.