Seven dead, dozens missing after boat capsizes in Nigeria's Jigawa state

A search-and-rescue operation is underway in Nigeria's Jigawa state after a wooden canoe carrying about 40 people capsized on Sunday, with seven bodies recovered and 23 people rescued alive, according to the BBC ( Most of those on board were female farmers and labourers, the BBC reported. The accident is the latest in a string of deadly boat disasters on Nigeria's waterways, the BBC said ( So far this year, more than 55 people have died in boat accidents across the country, with dozens of bodies still unrecovered. Poor enforcement of basic safety rules — including overcrowding, unsafe vessels and the failure to wear life jackets — drives the high death toll, the BBC reported ( Mallam Sala Altine, a traditional river authority figure in neighbouring Niger state, told the BBC his boats often carry more than 100 passengers but can provide life jackets for only about 10 because of chronic shortages. Nigerian authorities have repeatedly pledged reforms after major accidents, the BBC said ( Following a disaster last year that killed at least 32 passengers in Niger state, the National Inland Waterways Authority announced that life jackets would be mandatory nationwide, though campaigners say little has changed on the water. *Source Reporters corrects errors promptly. Report corrections to corrections@sourcereporters.com.*