At least 52 people were killed after an overloaded boat carrying farmers and laborers to rice fields capsized in northwestern Nigeria’s Sokoto State, officials said.

The accident occurred near Gorau town in the Goronyo Local Government Area while the vessel was transporting passengers to rice farms. Officials said the boat was carrying more than 70 people when it overturned during the journey.

Tukur Abubakar, head of operations for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Sokoto State, confirmed that the death toll had risen to 52. He said authorities were working to identify the victims and provide support to affected families.

Officials said 11 members of the same family were among those who lost their lives in the disaster. Local reports indicated that many of the victims were children, with rescue and recovery operations continuing after the accident.

The boat was carrying farmers and workers travelling to agricultural areas, where many local communities depend on waterways for transportation. Authorities have not yet announced a final cause of the accident, but overcrowding and inadequate safety measures are among the factors frequently linked to deadly boat incidents in Nigeria.

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season, due to overloaded vessels, poor maintenance and weak enforcement of safety regulations. (ILKHA)