Dozens feared dead after boat capsizes in northwestern Nigeria

Dozens of people are feared dead after a boat capsized on a river in northwestern Nigeria, according to local officials and residents in Sokoto state.

The vessel is believed to have been carrying people travelling to farms near Gorau when it overturned. Rescue operations were continuing on Thursday in the Goronyo local government area as emergency workers searched the river for survivors and recovered bodies.

Authorities had not released a confirmed death toll, but witnesses reported that around 50 bodies had been taken to a mosque in Gorau ahead of burial. Many of the victims were reportedly covered with mats and traditional cloth.

Ibrahim Musa, a former councillor in Gorau, said dozens of victims had already been buried.

"The situation is bad," Musa said, adding that 46 bodies had been buried and another five had been recovered from the river.

Dahir Kure, a spokesman for Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency in Sokoto state, confirmed that rescue teams were at the scene.

"We are now at the scene of the boat accident and have begun rescue work," Kure said.

He said officials were still gathering information about the incident and were unable to provide an immediate death toll.

Boat accidents are a recurring danger on Nigeria's rivers and waterways, where overcrowding, inadequate maintenance and failures to follow safety requirements have contributed to numerous deadly incidents.

Another boat capsized in neighbouring Jigawa state last month, killing at least five people. In January, at least 26 people drowned when a vessel carrying farmers and fishermen travelling from Jigawa to Yobe state overturned.

The latest disaster has again highlighted concerns over safety standards for river transport in parts of northern Nigeria, particularly for communities that rely on waterways to reach farmland and neighbouring areas.