ABUJA: At least 150 people are missing after a boat capsized in the west of Nigeria, said officials on Wednesday.
The tragic incident took place late on Tuesday night in the Mokwa region of Nigeria, said Abdullahi Baba, director general of the emergency agency of Niger state.
He said the boat was carrying about 300 persons on their way to attend an annual Muslim religious gathering. Rescue efforts are underway to find more survivors, he said.
Meanwhile, on September 15, eight migrants were killed when their overcrowded ship capsized while trying to cross the English Channel from France to England, said French authorities less than two weeks after the deadliest such disaster this year.
A regional official said 46 migrants have lost their lives while trying to reach England from France so far this year, up from 12 in 2023.
The French and British governments have been making efforts to stop the flow of migrants, who pay thousands of euros to smugglers for passage on overloaded inflatable boats.
Similarly, in July, at least 15 migrants died and dozens were missing after their vessel capsized near Mauritania, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
