Boat capsizes on way back from wedding, more than 100 people die

ABC News reported on June 14 that a boat carrying hundreds of people returning from a wedding hit a large log and capsized in the Niger River in Kwara State (northern Nigeria), killing at least 103 people, including children.

According to local police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi, there were about 300 people on board the boat when the accident happened late on June 12 and about 100 have been rescued. Efforts to rescue possible survivors are still underway.

Boat accidents are common in many remote communities across Nigeria.

Local officials said most of the drowned people were relatives from five villages who had come together for a wedding and party that lasted until late at night. They arrived on motorbikes but had to return by boat after heavy rains flooded the roads, Reuters reported.

Because the accident happened at 3 a.m., it took hours for people to know what had happened, said local resident Usman Ibrahim.

Local leader Abdul Gana Lukpada said all the bodies found had been buried, mostly near the river, in accordance with local custom.

Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and said he "continues to monitor the rescue efforts that have been underway since the night of June 12 to search for those who may still be alive".

Locals said it was the worst boat accident they had seen in years. Boat accidents are common in many remote communities across Nigeria, with most accidents attributed to overloading and poorly maintained vessels.

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