No fewer than 40 women and children are feared dead after a canoe capsized in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The Jigawa State Police Command confirmed the incident on Tuesday, stating that one body had been recovered while search and rescue operations were ongoing for the remaining passengers.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the command said emergency responders were continuing efforts to locate those still missing.

“One of the bodies was recovered. Efforts to recover the remaining 39 are underway,” the police said.

The Director of Planning at the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Muhammad Sanusi, also confirmed the accident, saying the passengers were predominantly female farmers and agricultural labourers travelling by canoe when the incident occurred.

Sanusi said the cause of the capsizing had not yet been determined, adding that emergency personnel, local divers and community volunteers had intensified search and rescue operations.

“Hands are on deck as combined efforts continue to determine the exact number of those rescued or missing,” he said.

He added that authorities were still verifying the number of casualties and survivors as the operation continued.

Boat accidents remain a recurring occurrence in several parts of northern Nigeria, where many rural communities rely on rivers and waterways for transportation and farming activities.

Experts have attributed such incidents to factors including overloading, poor boat maintenance, adverse weather conditions and the failure of passengers to wear life jackets.

Authorities have repeatedly urged boat operators and passengers to comply with water transportation safety regulations to help reduce the frequency of such accidents.