The death toll in the accident has risen to 41 as corpses of 11 more persons were recovered, local officials said.

The vessel was carrying Islamic school pupils from Badau village to the town of Bagwai on the other side of the river for a religious ceremony.

According to Saminu Abdullahi, the spokesperson for Kano State's fire service, the boat was meant to carry 12 people, however, more than 50 people were on the ferry at the time of the accident.

Seven passengers were rescued and were sent to the hospital while 13 more remain missing.

Rescue operations involved the police, fire services, volunteers, and members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria due to overloading, bad weather, poor maintenance, and lack of regulations to protect the safety of passengers.

In May, about 100 people were killed when a boat sank on the Niger River on the boundary of Kebbi and Niger States. (ILKHA)