A boat carrying 28 people capsized in northern Nigeria as they attempted to cross the Shagari River to fetch firewood. At least 28 people died as a result of the accident.

Following the recovery of the bodies from the River Shagari in Sokoto state by emergency workers and volunteers, regional government official Aliyu Dantani stated that the majority of the victims were teenage girls.

There were also five children among those who died, according to reports. According to reports, the boat was carrying an unspecified number of passengers. According to Dantani, the search and rescue operations are still ongoing at this time.

The cause of the accident was not clear but boat mishaps are common on Nigerian waterways mostly due to overcrowding particularly in the annual rainy season.

Late last month 13 people fleeing a raid on their village by criminal gangs drowned when their canoe capsized in central Niger state, according to emergency services.

And in May 2021, scores of people died after an overloaded boat capsized in the northwestern state of Kebbi. There were around 180 passengers on board.