Overloaded boat capsizes in Nigeria, around 40 children's bodies recovered

ByREUTERSAUGUST 20, 2026 18:12 An overloaded boat capsized in Nigeria's northwest Sokoto State, with around 40 bodies of children recovered so far, a local official at the Inland Waterways Authority said on Thursday."I can confirm that so far around 40 corpses of children have been recovered," Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority, said in a statement to Reuters. The accident occurred on Thursday morning when passengers were heading either to plant or to harvest rice, said Sarkin Daji, a traditional leader in the area.Farmers weed a rice paddy in an irrigation farm near Sokoto River, in Argungu on April 12, 2025. (credit: SUZANNE LASSEN/AFP via Getty Images)"Our local divers recovered the bodies, and the search is still ongoing," local resident Nasiru Gorau said.Boat accidents common in NigeriaDeadly boat accidents are common in Nigeria, where vessels often operate unsafely. In January, at least 25 people died when a leaking boat capsized in Yobe State, northeast Nigeria. Follow us on Google