The boat was heading from Kogi state in central Nigeria to a weekly market in neighboring Niger state when it sank.

Market traders and farm workers are believed to have been on board.

The cause of the accident is not yet known, but it appears that many passengers may not have been wearing the required life jackets.

It is difficult to get precise details about who exactly was on board because there was no recording, the local official told the BBC.

“The problem is that there is no passenger list and, due to the time at which the accident happened, it is very difficult to give an accurate account of the people, survivors and missing,” said Justin Uche, head of the Kogi State National Emergency Office. » said the management agency.

Meanwhile, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo has ordered all hospitals where survivors are being treated to ensure that they receive adequate care, including food.

He also called for stricter enforcement of security rules to ensure such incidents are avoided in the future.

This is the third time a passenger boat has capsized in Nigeria in the last 60 days.

Last month, a wooden canoe, filled with nearly 300 passengers, overturned and sank in the middle of the Niger River, killing nearly 200 people.

Last week, five people died when two boats collided in Delta State, southern Nigeria.