Boat capsizes on River Niger leaves 100 people dead

More than 100 people have died in an accident on the River Niger after the boat capsized early on Monday morning.

Eyewitnesses told Al Jazeera that the boat was carrying wedding guests who were returning to Kwara state from a ceremony in nearby Niger State, both in central Nigeria.

Al Jazeera correspondent Ahmed Idris reporting from Abuja said the boat hit something in the water and then capsized.

According to Idris, search and rescue operations have been ongoing since Monday.

The police are yet to confirm how many people have died or how many were aboard the boat, which was reportedly overloaded.

There have been similar mishaps in the past in the area which is close to the confluence between the rivers Niger and Benue.