ABUJA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least five bodies have been recovered and nine people remain missing after a wooden boat carrying scores of passengers capsized on the River Katsina-Ala in Nigeria's central Benue State at the weekend, rescue authorities said Monday.
The overloaded boat, believed to have been carrying about 139 passengers and 38 motorcycles, developed difficulties and overturned in a local river, Tema Ager, spokesman for the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, told Xinhua by telephone.
So far, 125 people have been rescued, Ager said, adding that local divers were still searching for missing people as of Monday morning.
Ager said some of the missing people might have died, given that more than 48 hours had passed since the incident.
He said the rescue operation had been challenging due to difficult conditions in the affected section of the river and the presence of submerged motorcycles and other materials.
"The rescue teams are working methodically to locate the missing people and establish the circumstances surrounding the mishap," he added.
Boat accidents, often caused by overloading, adverse weather conditions and operational errors, are common in Nigeria. ■
