Nigeria emergency official: 42 drown, 200 missing in boat capsizing in storm on Niger River

LAGOS, Nigeria – An emergency official in Nigeria says at least 42 people drowned and rescuers are searching for about 200 missing victims from a ferry that broke up in stormy weather on the Niger River.

Spokesman Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency told The Associated Press the ferry was carrying traders to a weekly market at Malali village when the storm erupted Friday afternoon.

He said Saturday that it was impossible to say how many people were on the boat, but initial indications were that about 200 passengers were missing.

Nigeria’s rainy season often brings violent storms that can cause disasters in a country where there is little maintenance and corruption blights the construction of everything from buildings and boats to roads and dams.

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