Forty-seven bodies have been recovered following the capsizing of a canoe at the Gorau crossing point in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The victims were reportedly travelling across the river when the canoe overturned, throwing the passengers into the water.
The canoe operator and the village head were among those who survived the incident, while the recovered bodies have been buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
Rescue and recovery efforts involving personnel from the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), security agencies and the Nigerian Red Cross Society have been deployed to the scene.
The teams, working alongside local divers, are continuing the search for other missing passengers and their belongings.
SEMA said efforts were also underway to determine the exact number of people aboard the canoe when the incident occurred.
