21 passengers missing, 2 rescued after boat mishap in Nigeria
Xinhua | Updated: 2020-07-06 09:48
ABUJA - Twenty-one persons were declared missing on Sunday after a boat capsized in the Benue River, a major tributary in central Nigeria, said the police.
Benue police spokeswoman Catherine Anene told Xinhua that two others were rescued by the marine police who immediately embarked on a rescue mission.
A total of 23 passengers were aboard the boat which sank midstream while sailing toward Makurdi, capital of the north-central Nigerian state when the incident occurred.
The passengers were identified as members of a local church who were attending a conference at the time of the incident, Anene added.
The incident occurred two days after 21 people including the captain of an ill-fated ferry sank in Lagos, the country's commercial hub. Six were confirmed dead and 14 others were rescued alive while one passenger is still missing from that incident.
Local authorities are investigating the cause of the two incidents.
