At least 20 individuals lost their lives when a wooden vessel ignited and detonated on a river in Nigeria's Bayelsa state on Wednesday, as reported by Reuters, citing a police spokesperson.
The boat was transporting merchants with goods destined for coastal settlements, according to Bayelsa police spokesperson Musa Muhammed, who spoke on Thursday.
Last year, it was reported that at least 200 people perished in boat mishaps across Nigeria, with officials frequently citing overcrowding and inadequate maintenance as the causes. In October 2022, a boating incident in Nigeria's Anambra state resulted in the deaths of at least 76 people.
Anambra was one of 29 out of Nigeria's 36 states that suffered from severe flooding in 2022. The inundation destroyed dwellings, crops, and roads, impacting at least half a million people.
