At least 46 people have died in Nigeria after a boat capsized in north-western Sokoto state.

The boat was believed to be carrying more than 70 people, mostly children, and a search operation is ongoing, officials say.

Police spokesperson Ahmad Rufai told the BBC on Thursday that 46 bodies had been found near Gorau in Gorony. Sixteen people have been recovered safely, while 15 are still missing.

The area is difficult to reach, and security agencies and emergency services are heading to the site, Rufai added.

One witness told the Reuters news agency he believed the children on board were travelling with farm owners and labourers who were heading to work on a rice harvest.

The witness said they saw saw 50 bodies, many wrapped in ‌mats and traditional cloths, lying in the front of a community mosque ahead of their ​burial.

Nigeria’s emergency management agency (Nema) spokesperson Ezekiel Manzo told the BBC that “Gorau is a very remote place… the team has moved to that remote location.

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, with overcrowding, poorly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety rules often blamed for deaths. At least five people drowned when a boat overturned in Jigawa state last month.

In January, at least 26 people drowned when a boat carrying farmers and fishermen from Jigawa to Yobe state capsized.

And in December 2024, 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a boat that may have been carrying more than 200 passengers capsized.

Authorities have recommended measures including providing safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying water guards at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators are properly trained and licensed.

But many of these measures have not been fully implemented or properly enforced.

For millions of Nigerians, particularly in rural communities, rivers are an important means of transport. Many villages are located near waterways, while poor roads and a lack of bridges can make travel by land difficult.

Wooden boats are often used to transport people and goods, including to markets and neighbouring communities.