A boat carrying an uncertain number of passengers capsized in the southern Nigerian state of Delta, killing some 20 people, Nigeria’s major media reported today.
An estimated of 20 bodies have been retrieved, according to the reports.
The boat went down in the Ughelli local government area of Delta state on Friday night barely 15 minutes after departure, possibly due to overloading, Abel Oshevire, spokesman for the state government told Xinhua by phone.
“It was a mishap in the midnight. They were going for a burial ceremony when the incident occurred,” Oshevire said. “The boat capsized. We are not sure how many were aboard … because nobody survived.”
Boat mishap is common on the waterways of southern Nigeria which borders the Atlantic Ocean. Overloading and poor maintenance of the vessels are usually the cause.