Over 100 Are Dead and Many Missing After Boat Carrying Wedding Guests Capsizes

More than 100 people drowned and more remain missing after a boat returning from a wedding capsized along Nigeria’s River Niger, according to authorities.

With 300-plus people aboard, the boat was knocked off course by waves and crashed into a tree that had fallen into the river, the traditional local ruler of the area where the accident occurred said, according to the BBC.

Emir of Patigi Ibrahim Umar Bologi II estimated the death toll over 150, while a police spokesperson told the Agence France-Presse news agency that 103 were dead, with over 100 rescued. The search for additional survivors continued early Wednesday.

The boat was bringing passengers from the state of Kwara to the state of Niger after the celebration, the BBC reported.

In a statement, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara, send his “heartfelt condolences” to victims’ loved ones.

Boat accidents are common in the part of southwestern Nigeria where the tragedy occurred, as travelers take to the river to avoid poor conditions and gangs found along local roads, according to the outlet.