According to officials, a boat capsized in northwest Nigeria, killing 15 persons.
The boat capsized in the middle of a river on Tuesday as it was traveling to the town of Dundeji in the Sokoto state, local police spokesperson Sanusi Abubakar told .
The boat had 36 passengers, 21 of whom were saved alive. Two males and thirteen females perished. said Abubakar. Young children were among those who died.
It was the most recent in a string of boat capsizes in river settlements in Nigeria.
According to local media, the locals gathered with their families on Wednesday to mourn the deaths who were traveling to get firewood. Local official Umar Yabo described the deaths as a significant loss for the area, which is located approximately 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Sokoto, the state capital.
According to the police official, authorities opened an investigation into the tragedy on Wednesday. Such capsizings occur frequently in Nigerian river settlements where locally built boats are the primary mode of transportation. Officials blame overloading and the usage of badly maintained boats for the majority of them.
