More than 100 Drowned in Nigeria Boat Accident

Nigerian police say at least 100 people have drowned and several more are missing after a boat packed with passengers capsized.

Residents said the accident occurred last night when a wooden boat carrying people across a river to reach Kwara state after a wedding in neighboring Niger state capsized.

It was not immediately clear how many people were on board, but the Kwara state government said in a statement that they were from five villages and that rescue efforts were still underway.

The statement added that the Governor of Kwara expressed his condolences to the citizens after the accident, which "is feared to have led to the deaths of dozens, while many are still missing."

Fearing kidnappings carried out by armed gangs on the roads, some Nigerians use boats to move to nearby locations, but the overcrowding and poor condition of these boats are the reason behind most incidents of this kind.