At least 54 bodies have now been recovered from Nigeria’s Niger River after a boat believed to be carrying more than 200 passengers capsized in the early hours of Friday, authorities said.
Twenty-four of those on board were rescued, some of whom remain in hospital, but dozens of others may be missing.
Divers are still searching the waters, but hopes of finding more survivors are fading.
This is just the latest in a long line of boating accidents on the country’s inland waterways. Despite safety recommendations being made, the rules are rarely enforced and few are held accountable.
The boat was traveling from Kogi state, central Nigeria, to a weekly market in neighboring Niger state when it sank.
There would have been market traders and farm workers on board.
The cause of the accident is not yet known, but there are indications that many passengers may not have been wearing the required life jackets.
Obtaining accurate details about exactly who was on board is difficult because no records were kept, the local official in charge told the BBC.
“The problem is that there is no passenger list and because of the time the accident occurred, it is very difficult to give an accurate account of persons, survivors and missing,” said Justin Uche, head of the Kogi state office of the National Emergency. Management agency said.
Meanwhile, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo has ordered all hospitals where survivors are being treated to ensure they receive adequate care, including food.
He also urged stricter enforcement of safety regulations to ensure such incidents are avoided in the future.
This is the third time in the last 60 days that a passenger boat has sunk in Nigeria.
Last month, a wooden canoe packed with nearly 300 passengers capsized and sank in the middle of the Niger River, killing nearly 200 people.
Just last week, five people died when two boats collided in Delta State in southern Nigeria.
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