Twenty one people have been declared missing after a boat they were traveling in capsized in the Benue River, a major tributary in central Nigeria, the police have said.
Speaking to Xinhua, Benue police spokeswoman, Catherine Anene said two others were rescued by the marine police who immediately embarked on a rescue mission.
According to the police spokeswoman, the boat was carrying a total of 23 passengers when it sank midstream while sailing toward Makurdi, capital of the north-central Nigerian state.
The passengers were identified as members of a local church who were attending a conference at the time of the incident, Anene added.
This incident happens just 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.
Investigations are still underway for the cause of both incidents.
