World News | Children Among 15 Dead in North Nigeria Boat Capsizing

Abuja (Nigeria), May 10 (AP) A boat capsized in northwestern Nigeria, killing 15 people, police said on Wednesday.

The boat was heading to the village of Dundeji in Sokoto state on Tuesday when it capsized in the middle of a river, local police spokesman Sanusi Abubakar told The Associated Press.

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There were 36 passengers on board the boat, with 21 of them rescued alive. Thirteen females and two males died, Abubakar said. Some of the fatalities were children.

It was the latest in a series of boat capsizings in Nigeria's river communities.

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The villagers on Wednesday gathered at the local square with their families as they mourned the victims, who were on their way to fetch firewood, local media reported.

Umar Yabo, a local representative, described the deaths as a great loss to the community, which is about 55 kilometres (34 miles) from the state capital, Sokoto.

Authorities on Wednesday launched an investigation into the tragedy, the police official said. Such capsizings are common in many river communities across Nigeria where locally-made boats are the major means of transportation. Officials attribute them mostly to overloading and the use of poorly maintained boats. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)