ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — An accident involving a boat carrying passengers on the Niger River in north-central Nigeria has killed at least 26 people, an official said Wednesday.

The accident happened Tuesday in the Ibaji area of Kogi state. The passengers were mostly traders headed to a market in neighboring Edo State, said Kingsley Fanwo, the Kogi state commissioner for information.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

“This is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased, as well as the entire Ibaji local government area, in this moment of grief,” Fanwo said in a statement.

Kogi state government will work with federal agencies to improve waterway safety and prevent a repeat of such accidents, Fanwo said.

Boat accidents are comm

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