They find 76 bodies in a boat “Diario La Capital de Mar del Plata

At least 76 bodies were found in the Niger River after an overloaded boat sank in Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria, on the 26th day, Efe reported today.

“The emergency services have so far recovered no less than 76 bodies in the river,” confirmed to Efe Alhaji Abdullahi Buhari, president of the local government of Ngaski, the district where the accident occurred, noting that the number of people rescued alive stands at 22.

“Many people are still missing and the emergency services are working tirelessly to recover possibly more bodies,” he added.

The boat crash happened because it was overloaded, carrying more than 160 people and sandbags for a gold mine. According to Buhari, the ship was only supposed to carry eighty people. The boat capsized on its way to the town of Wara (Kebbi) from Lokon Minna in neighboring Niger state.

Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Bagudu’s press service said in a statement that he would take the necessary steps to prevent another similar tragedy and revise existing laws to protect lives and goods of passengers on board ships.

The event occurred after at least 28 people died and 65 were rescued after a ship sank on the 8th in Niger state. Boat capsize are common on Nigerian waterways due to overload and lack of maintenance, especially during the rainy season.