Death toll rises to 15 in Nigeria boat capsize

LAGOS, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Friday's boat capsize in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, rose to 15 as more bodies were recovered, authorities said.

Recovery operation were still ongoing, Ibrahim Farinloye, zonal coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency in the southwestern region, said in a statement on Sunday.

The boat with at least 16 people on board capsized at around 7:45 p.m. local time on Friday along a waterway in the Ojo area of Lagos, when "the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge, which caused it to overturn," Farinloye said in a separate statement on Saturday.

He said the boat captain breached a ban on ferrying passengers by night.

Boat accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, due to overloading, bad weather and faulty operations.