Image Credit: AFP

A boat that was carrying around 160 passengers sank in the Niger river after it split in half on Wednesday. More than 100 people are believed to have died in the tragedy.

A local official confirmed that only 22 survivors were found. Four people have been confirmed dead, but 140 people are still unaccounted for. According to BBC most of the passengers were women and children. Search and rescue team are working tirelessly in an attempt to find more survivors.

Abdullahi Buhari Wara, administrative head of Ngaski district said that the boat was overloaded by more than twice its maximum passenger capacity. To make matters worse, it was also loaded with bags of sand from a gold mine.

Unfortunately, such accidents are common in Nigeria due to overcrowding and poor maintenance, especially during the annual rainy season.

The search and rescue team operations continued on Thursday, but unfortunately, hopes are not high in finding more survivors.

More details to follow.

Published by truthisacommodity

Residing on the small island of Malta, I have developed a keen interest in foreign politics and science and in bringing truth to my audience by providing daily news! Email: info@whatnownews24.com View all posts by truthisacommodity