Boat capsizes in northwest Nigeria, killing 17 children

KANO, Nigeria

At least 17 children died when the boat they were traveling in capsized Tuesday in the Dandeji River in the Shagari Local Government Area of northwestern Nigeria’s Sokoto State.

An official of the state government, Aluyu Dantani, told Anadolu that their bodies were recovered by local divers.

He said they were buried according to Islamic rites.

Dantani said that around 40 girls and boys were on their way to fetch firewood at a nearby bush when the boat capsized.

He said some of the passengers swam to safety while the search for others was ongoing.

He said some of the passengers swam to safety while the search for others was ongoing.

The deceased were also on their way to fetch firewood, a traditional activity of children in the area.

Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is yet to issue a statement on the incident.

A similar incident occurred on April 13, 2022 in Gidan Magana village in the Shagari Local Government Area in which 29 people died, most of them teenagers.