At least 47 people have died after a boat carrying farm workers capsized in a river near Gorau in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The boat was carrying more than 80 people, many of them women and children travelling to farms to work, according to officials.
Abdulkadir Yusuf, the Sokoto manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority, said the death toll had risen to 47, while rescue efforts continued.
Residents said dozens of bodies had been recovered from the water. Samaila Garba, a resident of the community, said his 13-year-old granddaughter, Jamila Usman, was among the victims.
Another resident, Aminu Dan Hajiya, said the accident had affected almost every household in the community.
Boat accidents are common on Nigerian waterways, particularly during the rainy season, with overloading and inadequate safety measures often contributing to the incidents.
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