Authorities say more than 100 people killed and more are missing after a boat carrying them down the River Niger in south-western Nigeria crashed.

The barge was transporting around 300 passengers from Kwara state to Niger state following a wedding celebration.

Officials indicated that efforts to find other victims are still underway.

According to a traditional local authority, the boat capsized after colliding with a tree.

“Dozens of people were feared killed, and many others [are] still missing,” stated Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in a statement on Tuesday.

More than 150 people were killed, according to the Emir of Patigi, Ibrahim Umar Bologi II, the traditional ruler of the area where the incident occurred.

According to him, river surges overwhelmed the boat, forcing it to crash into a tree washed into the river, causing the boat to capsize.

According to AFP, a Kwara state police spokesman, the death toll was certain to grow as search and rescue attempts continued.

Mr AbdulRazaq, the governor of Kwara state, expressed “heartfelt condolences” to the victims’ families and said rescuers were still looking for survivors.

River accidents are widespread in this section of Nigeria.

People who reside in settlements along the River Niger, which runs through the country’s center, frequently use the river since it is faster than roads, which are frequently badly maintained and dangerous due to the presence of kidnapping gangs.

However, in order to gain more money, boat operators frequently overburden their unstable vessels.