Rescue workers are searching for more than 40 people after a boat accident in Nigeria's northwestern Sokoto state, the country's emergency agency said on Sunday.

"About 10 persons have been rescued, while more than 40 passengers remain missing," the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said in a statement.

NEMA said it has deployed its response team to support ongoing rescue operations following a tragic boat mishap in Sokoto State today.

The Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, activated the agency’s response immediately after receiving reports that a boat conveying over 50 passengers to Goronyo Market had capsized.

Umar said, NEMA, in collaboration with local authorities and emergency responders, is intensifying search and rescue operations to locate the missing persons.

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