At least 24 killed in Nigeria boat accident

At least 24 people have died and dozens more are missing after a boat carrying farmers to their fields in central Nigeria sank on Sunday, rescue workers said.

The boat was carrying more than a hundred farmers crossing the River Niger on their way to their crops on the other side, in Niger State, when it capsized, Garba Salihu, the head of the Niger State Rescue Management Agency, said in a statement.

"At this stage, 24 bodies have been recovered and 30 people rescued," he said. "More than 100 people must have been on board when the boat sank," he added. The causes of the accident were not specified.

Operations were continuing to find the missing passengers, he said.

On Friday, ten people drowned and three were reported missing when a boat with 23 passengers on board, traders on their way to a market, capsized on Lake Njuwa in the northern state of Adamawa, Amin Suleiman, the local head of the Rescue Management Agency, told AFP.

Boat wrecks on Nigeria's busy rivers are a frequent occurrence. They are generally due to overloaded boats, poor maintenance or lack of safety.