Scores of people are feared dead after a boat capsized in north-central Nigeria.
The boat was carrying more than 300 passengers in the Niger River when it capsized on Tuesday night, said the head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (Nsema), Abdullah Baba Arah.
On Thursday, another Nsema official told the BBC that 26 bodies have been found but search efforts are still ongoing.
Earlier, the chairman of the local council, Abdullah Muregi, was quoted by the Nigerian media as saying that about 60 bodies had been found.
Mr. Arah’s statement revealed that 150 people were rescued alive and most of the boat passengers were women and children who were on their way to celebrate the Muslim festival of Mawlid.
Mr Arah praised the “quick response” from community volunteers, who were trying to rescue the passengers by “brave” local divers.
His colleague Ibrahim Husaini said that it is not clear how many people were on the boat as there is no register, so it is impossible to know how many people are still missing.
Mr Muregi on Thursday told the BBC that 150 remain unaccounted for.
The boat was from a community called Mundi.
Most of the passengers were heading to Gbajibo village to celebrate Mawlid – the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth.
Mr. Arah’s statement did not say what caused the boat to capsize.
However, incidents of boat capsizing on the Niger River, which is the third longest river in Africa, are common, especially during the rainy season when the water is high.
Other boats on the river are moving and full of passengers. Debris, such as tree branches, in the water can also cause challenges for boats.
In September last year, at least 24 people died when a boat capsized in the same area. The ship was carrying more than 50 passengers, who were on their way to the farm for harvesting.
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