At least 40 women and children are feared dead after a canoe conveying passengers capsized in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The Jigawa State Police Command confirmed the incident on Monday, stating that search and rescue operations were ongoing to locate the missing passengers.

In a statement shared on its official Facebook page, the command disclosed that one body had been recovered, while efforts were underway to recover the remaining victims.

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

The Director of Planning at the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Muhammad Sanusi, also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were mostly female farmers and agricultural workers who were travelling in a canoe when the accident occurred.

Sanusi said the exact cause of the boat mishap had not been established, adding that emergency officials, local divers and community members were involved in the search for possible survivors and victims.

He explained that authorities were still working to determine the actual number of people on board and the number of casualties recorded.

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

The incident adds to concerns over recurring boat accidents in parts of northern Nigeria, where many rural communities depend on waterways as a major means of transportation.

Such accidents have often been linked to factors including overloading, poor maintenance of vessels and inadequate use of safety equipment such as life jackets.

Authorities are expected to provide further updates as rescue operations continue.