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The Nigerian authorities confirmed that at least 60 people were killed in a boat accident on the Niger River. They are also worried about the deaths of 83 missing passengers.
The ship carrying more than 160 passengers, including many children and women, sank after hitting an object and breaking up on Wednesday while traveling along the Kebbi State River, Nigeria’s largest river in northwestern Nigeria.
Emergency workers continued their recovery work on Friday. The body was transported from the team’s boat near the river bank to the waiting ambulance.
Sani Dododo, chairman of the Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency, said that workers recovered 55 bodies on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 60.
He said: “We hope that more bodies will be recovered on Friday.” He added that he fears that the 83 passengers who are still missing may not be alive.
Soon after the accident, 22 passengers were rescued, but no one else was rescued alive since then.
Among the dead was a baby less than one year old.
Duoduo said that due to the high water level and rapid movement of the river, the recovery work is slow, which poses dangers to divers and ship workers.
It is not yet clear what caused the ship to rupture on its way from Niger State in Nigeria to Wara Town in Kebbi State.
Ship accidents are common in Nigeria, especially on the Niger River. The causes include overloading, poor condition of many ships, and underwater debris that ships often hit.
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