At least 60 people have died after a boat carrying more than 100 passengers capsized in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State, local officials said.

The vessel departed Tungan Sule in Malale district on Tuesday morning, heading to the town of Dugga for a condolence visit, when it struck a submerged tree stump near Gausawa community in Borgu Local Government Area.

"The death toll of the boat incident has risen to 60," Abdullahi Baba Ara, chair of Borgu LGA, told Reuters news agency on Wednesday.

"Ten people have been found in serious condition, and many are still being sought."

The accident occurred around 11 am local time (1000 GMT).

Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, the district head of Shagumi, said he arrived at the scene shortly after.

"The boat carried more than 100 people. We were able to recover 31 corpses from the river. The boat was also recovered and removed," he said, adding that women and children were among the majority of victims.

‘Overloaded boat’

Four were buried Tuesday in line with Islamic rites.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) said local divers and emergency personnel were continuing rescue efforts.

It confirmed 29 deaths, 50 rescues, and two people still missing, but acknowledged the toll was rising as more bodies were recovered.

The agency said the boat was overloaded and struck a tree stump, causing it to overturn.

Boat accidents are frequent in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season, due to lax safety enforcement, overcrowding, and the use of poorly maintained vessels.

In recent years, hundreds have died in similar incidents across inland waterways.

Authorities said an investigation would examine compliance with safety rules and whether operators had ignored warnings about water levels in the area.