11 dead as the boat capsizes in Niger

Eleven people drowned on Thursday when their boat capsized on a river in central Niger, said the region's governor to AFP.

The accident occurred near the city of Maradi, said Governor Zakari Oumarou of the Maradi region near the border with Nigeria.

"Three or four pbadengers" of the boat were also missing, added a local source.

The Goulbi is a seasonal river that has its source in Nigeria.

"During the rainy season, the Goulbi cuts the roads, forcing the inhabitants to take small boats to go from one place to another," said a resident at AFP.

In June, the UN warned the country of the Sahel desert against floods that could affect 170,000 people during the rainy season, which lasts about three months.

In 2018, the deaths of 52 people and the destruction of 170,000 homes were attributable to heavy rains.

The waters also destroyed 8,000 hectares of crops, 33,000 head of cattle and damaged schools and drinking water wells.

In the previous year, 56 people lost their lives in floods, affecting a total of 206,000 people.