At least 150 people missing after boat capsizes in Nigeria

Abuja (AA): At least 150 people are missing after a boat capsized in western Nigeria, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred late on Tuesday night in the Mokwa region of Nigeria, said Abdullahi Baba, director general of the emergency agency of Niger state.

According to Baba, the boat carried about 300 persons on their way to attend an annual Muslim religious celebration. Rescue efforts are underway to locate more survivors, he said.

Meanwhile, on September 15, eight migrants died when their overcrowded vessel capsized while trying to cross the English Channel from France to England, French authorities said, less than two weeks after the deadliest such disaster this year.

A regional official said the latest tragedy means 46 migrants have lost their lives attempting to reach England from France so far this year, up from 12 in 2023.

The French and British governments have sought for years to stop the flow of migrants, who pay smugglers thousands of euros per head for the passage on overloaded inflatable dinghies.

Similarly, in July, at least 15 migrants died and dozens were missing after their boat capsized off Mauritania, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and local sources said.