At Least 60 Dead When Boat Carrying Over 100 People Sinks After Striking Tree Stump

A tragic boat accident has killed at least 60 people in Niger State, Nigeria, Reuters reported, citing local officials.

The accident happened on Tuesday, Sept. 2, when a boat carrying more than 100 passengers was overloaded and struck a submerged tree stump in the River Niger, causing it to sink, according to the BBC.

Passengers were traveling to pay their respects to the family of someone who had recently died when the boat went down.

“The cause was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stump,” the Niger State Emergency Management Agency told the local newspaper Daily Trust.

According to Al Jazeera, the boat left the town of Tungan Sule around 11 a.m. local time and was headed to Dugga.

At first, the death toll was said to be about 32. Later, Abdullahi Baba Ara, director general of the state emergency agency and chair of Borgu Local Government Area, confirmed the higher number.

“The death toll of the boat incident has risen to 60,” he told Reuters. “Ten people have been found in serious condition, and many are still being sought.”

Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, the district head of Shagumi, told Reuters that most of the victims were women and children.

So far, about 50 people have been rescued, Hussaini Isah, an official with Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, told ABC News.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency for more information.

Boat accidents and overcrowding are frequent in Nigeria.

In February, the BBC reported that Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, formed a Special Committee on the Prevention of Boat Mishaps. In May, the ministry also announced plans to distribute 42,000 life jackets across the country.

Life jackets are legally required for water travel in Nigeria, but the rule is rarely enforced. In May, the National Inland Water Ways Authority launched a safety campaign called “No Life Jacket, No Travel.”