More than 100
people have drowned and more are missing after a boat carrying them down the
River Niger in south-western Nigeria capsized, authorities say.
The vessel was
carrying more than 300 passengers travelling from Kwara state to Niger state
after a wedding ceremony.
Search and
rescue efforts were trying to find more victims, officials said.
The boat
capsized after it crashed into a tree, a traditional local ruler said.
"Dozens of
people were feared killed and many others [are] still missing", a
statement from the Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said on Tuesday.
The Emir of
Patigi, Ibrahim Umar Bologi II - the traditional ruler of the area where it
happened - said more than 150 people had died.
He told
journalists that river waves overtook the boat and forced it to crash into a
tree that had washed into the river, causing the boat to capsize.
A Kwara state
police spokesman told AFP news agency the death toll was likely to rise as
search and rescue efforts continued.
Mr AbdulRazaq
gave his "heartfelt condolences" to the victims' loved ones - and
said rescuers were continuing to search for survivors.
River accidents
in this part of Nigeria are common.
People who live
in the villages bordering the River Niger, which runs through the centre of the
country, often use the river as it can be faster than roads, which are often
poorly maintained and dangerous due to the presence of kidnapping gangs.
However boat
operators often overload their rickety vessels in a bid to earn more money.
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