The boat crashed while traveling from Kogi state in central Nigeria to a weekly market in neighboring Niger state.
It is believed that among the passengers were market traders and farm workers.
The cause of the accident is not yet known, but it is believed that many of the travelers were not wearing required life jackets.
A local official told the BBC that because there is no record keeping, it is difficult to get accurate information about who exactly was on the boat.
“The problem is that because there is no passenger list and because of the time the accident occurred, it is very difficult to provide an accurate account of the people, survivors and missing,” said Justin Uche, Kogi State Emergency Services director. The management office stated.
Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province Governor Usman Ododo ordered all hospitals where survivors are being treated to ensure that they receive appropriate treatment, including food.
In addition, he requested that safety rules be strengthened to prevent such accidents from occurring in the future.
This is the third time a passenger ship has sunk in Nigeria in the past 60 days.
Last month, a wooden dugout canoe carrying about 300 passengers capsized and sank in the middle of the Niger River, killing nearly 200 people.
Last week, five people were killed when two boats collided in Nigeria’s southern Delta state.
