More than 150 feared drowned in northwest Nigeria boat accident: official

More than 150 people were missing and feared drowned in northwest Nigeria on Wednesday after an overloaded boat ferrying passengers to a market broke apart and sank, local officials said.

The river boat was travelling between Niger State and Kebbi state when it went down, National Inland Waterways Authority local manager Yusuf Birma told reporters. 

"The boat capacity was not up to the 180 passengers it carried," Birma said. "As we speak, only 20 people have been rescued alive, four dead confirmed while the remaining 156 people are still missing and they are believed to be underwater."

Earlier another official had said around 140 people were missing.