At least 76 people died on Friday in Anambra state, Nigeria, as a result of the sinking of an overcrowded ship, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari revealed this Sunday.
With 85 people on board, the ship capsized Friday as it navigated the Niger River in Ogbaru, Anambra region, one of 29 Nigerian states devastated by recent severe flooding.
It was initially thought that only ten people had died in the sinking.
According to the British newspaper the guard15 people were rescued alive on Saturday.
The floods in Nigeria are mainly attributed to the release of excess water from the Lagdo dam in neighboring Cameroon and the unusually heavy rainfall.
Last week, Kogi Governor Yahaya Belo in north-central Nigeria asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of national disaster to help the government respond more quickly.
Source: DN
