103 Wedding Guests Including Children Drown, as Boat Capsizes in Nigeria

A boat carrying guests returning from a wedding ceremony capsized in northern Nigeria, killing at least 103 people, including children. This mishap occurred in the Niger river in Pategi district of Kwara state of Nigeria on Monday.

The ill-fated boat was overcrowded and it had around 300 passengers. Around 100 persons could be rescued.

The people who drowned were relatives of the bride and groom of a marriage ceremony. They had reached the marriage venue on their bikes. But they preferred to take the boat journey to return as rains had flooded the roads.

The wedding was held in the village of Egboti in the neighbouring Niger state. As the accident occurred at 3 am, the death toll was high.

Search operation was on till Wednesday. Officials and locals were still searching for more bodies in the Niger river.