NIGERIA: Twenty-one people were killed when their boat capsized in an area wracked by deadly attacks blamed on cattle thieves in northern Nigeria, the emergency services said Friday.

The vessel carrying 50 passengers overturned in strong currents in a river in the Gandi district of Sokoto state around 10:00 am (0900 GMT) on Thursday, Suleiman Karim of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told AFP.

"Rescue teams recovered the bodies of 17 women and four children on board the overloaded boat which capsized due to strong waves," he said.

He said the other 29 passengers were lucky to make it to the shore.

The passengers were heading to Garin Kare village on the other side of the river to check on their homes, which they deserted following deadly raids last month by suspected cattle thieves on neighbouring villages.

Thousands of the villagers fled to a makeshift camp in Gandi town after the bandits' attack, in which 32 people were killed and dozens of homes burnt.

Boat capsizes are common in Nigeria due to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance for vessels, particularly during the annual rainy season.

Last month, 22 traders were killed after their boat capsized in high winds in the Isa district of Sokoto state following a heavy downpour. </s> A boat overloaded with passengers in northern Nigeria has capsized, killing 21 people, according to the state rescue agency.

The boat with an estimated 50 passengers on board overturned in strong currents in a river in the Gandi district of Sokoto state on Thursday, Suleiman Karim of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told AFP news agency.

"Rescue teams recovered the bodies of 17 women and four children on board the overloaded boat which capsized due to strong waves," he said.

He said the other 29 passengers were lucky to make it to the shore.

The passengers were heading to Garin Kare village on the other side of the river to check on their homes, which they deserted following deadly attacks last month by suspected cattle thieves in neighbouring villages.

Thousands of the villagers fled to a makeshift camp after the bandits' attack, in which 32 people were killed and dozens of homes razed.

Boat capsizes are common in Nigeria due to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance for vessels, particularly during the annual rainy season.

In July, 22 traders were killed after their boat capsized in high winds in the Isa district of Sokoto state following a heavy downpour.

Passenger boats in Nigeria, especially in more remote areas, are often poorly maintained and sometimes incapable of navigating rough waters.

But operators with narrow profit margins typically try to put on board an excessive number of passengers to boost income. </s> File photo shows rescuers work at the site of a boat accident in Lagos, Nigeria, March 12, 2014. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)

ABUJA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-one people were confirmed killed after a boat capsized in Nigeria's northwestern state of Sokoto, local authorities said on Friday.

Responders recovered the bodies of 17 women and four children on board the overloaded boat, which capsized due to strong waves in Gida Kare district of the state on Thursday, the National Emergency Management Agency said.

An investigation has been launched to ascertain the cause of the boat.

The boat was carrying at least 50 passengers at the time of the incident.

The 29 other victims were able to make it to shore during a rescue operation, said Suleiman Karim, a NEMA personnel.

One other official said a 1-year-old child was among the dead victims.

The victims of the boat accident were all internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to their village in Gidan Kare after they were attacked recently by gunmen, according to the local Daily Trust newspaper. </s> Twenty-one persons were killed in Gandi District, Sokoto State, when a boat conveying 50 passengers capsized on Thursday.

29 other passengers were lucky to make it to the shore alive.

Suleiman Karim of the National Emergency Management Agency said the vessel which was overloaded overturned in strong currents in a river in Gandi.

Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of 17 women and four children on board the boat.

The passengers were heading to Garin Kare village on the other side of the river to check on their homes, which they deserted following deadly raids by suspected cattle rustlers last month. </s> It has been reported that as many as 21 persons have drowned after a boat mishap in Sokoto.

The sad incident reportedly took place on a river in Gandi community in Rabah local government area of Sokoto state today, August 2.

Local reports show that more bodies are are believed to be in the river at the moment as divers continue to search. The remains of the recovered bodies have being prepared for burial.

The unfortunate incident has pinged the community in deep sorrow.

Below are more photos of the deceased persons:

Stay updated with the latest Nigerian news from Information Nigeria </s> At least eight dead as boat capsizes in Indonesia

At least eight people died and several others remain missing after a passenger boat capsized off the coast of Borneo on Monday, an official said, in the latest deadly maritime accident in Indonesia.

Some 33 people have so far been rescued and navy personnel have been dispatched to search for the remaining passengers, but he said high waves are impeding operations.

"We don't know yet what has caused the accident and how exactly it happened. But we'll try to figure that out and are now focusing on finding the remaining passengers," Mulyadi told AFP.

It is the latest boat accident in the vast Indonesian archipelago, which relies heavily on boats to ferry people around its 17,000 islands, but has a patchy safety record.

Last July, eight people drowned in a boat accident on the same route from Tarakan to Tanjung Selor.

On New Year's day last year at least 23 people died when a tourist boat from Jakarta burst into flames.

It was carrying about 250 local holidaymakers to celebrate the New Year on Tidung island near Jakarta. </s> 29 drown in capsized boat in Uganda, toll expected to rise

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda police say 29 people died when a boat capsized in Lake Victoria near the capital, Kampala.

Senior police officer Zurah Ganyana said rescue teams are retrieving bodies from the boat that overturned and sank Saturday night. She said that 27 people were rescued overnight, lower than earlier reports. More than 90 passengers were on the boat, leading officials to believe that the death toll will rise.

Ganyana said the boat was in poor condition and had been grounded for some time. She said it did not have a valid license to operate.

The boat was taking passengers on a pleasure cruise on Lake Victoria, a popular weekend activity for young people in Kampala. It capsized close to shore at about 7 p.m. local time. </s> KAMPALA: At least 10 people have died after a boat capsized in Lake Victoria on Saturday evening while more than 40 others were rescued, Ugandan police said.

"The rescue mission is still on to find others," said police spokesman Emilian Kayima. </s> YANGON, Myanmar — A ferry boat capsized Friday evening in Myanmar's Ayeyarwaddy delta, killing at least 20 people, police said.

Police officer Nay Lin Tun said more than 40 people were on board the ferry.

He said police and firefighters were attempting to rescue passengers in the Ngawun River, where the accident occurred.

The cause of the accident was being investigated. No other details were immediately available.
21 people are killed after a boat capsizes in Nigeria's northwestern state of Sokoto.