AT least 28 people were confirmed dead while seven others were declared missing following a boat mishap in Nigeria’s central-north state of Niger, said local authorities Sunday.

Ahmed Inga, the director-general of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Niger, said the accident happened at about 6 p.m. local time Saturday when a wooden boat carrying 100 people hit a stump of a tree and broke in a river in Shiroro local government area of the state.

Inga said the boat sank about 50 meters to its destination.

He said so far 65 people have been rescued and 28 bodies recovered by local divers, while seven people are still missing.

A rescue operation was still ongoing to recover the missing persons, Inga said.

The six-month old local boat capsized due to a heavy windstorm caused by Saturday’s evening rain in the area.

The passengers were said to be returning from a local market in Zumba village of Shiroro Local Government Area.

Mallam Adamu Ahmed, the Sarkin Kasuwan Zumba, said the victims,were mostly internally displaced persons from about seven communities, all in Munya local government area. (SD-Xinhua)