At least 46 people, most of them children, have died after a boat capsized near Gorau in Nigeria’s Goroni area, police spokesperson Ahmad Rufai said on Thursday. Sixteen people were rescued alive and 15 remained missing. Authorities believe the vessel, which sank in northwestern Sokoto province, was carrying more than 70 passengers.

The accident site is difficult to reach because it is in a remote area, Rufai said, adding that security forces and emergency workers were heading there. National Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Ezekiel Manzo said the agency’s team had reached Gorau. A witness told Reuters that children may have been travelling with farm owners and labourers heading to harvest rice.

Boat accidents occur frequently in Nigeria, with overcrowding, inadequate vessel maintenance and weak enforcement of safety rules cited as contributing factors. Authorities have recommended measures including safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying waterway safety personnel at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators receive proper training and licences. Rivers are an important transport route for many rural residents, where poor roads and a lack of bridges can make land travel difficult.