At least 12 drown as boat capsizes in Nigeria delta

LAGOS, Apr 10 (Reuters) At least a dozen people drowned when an overcrowded dugout canoe capsized in a remote creek in Nigeria's delta, officials said today.

Five employees of a contractor to US oil company Chevron were among the dead, police said. Nigerian newspapers said at least 20 people died, adding 12 bodies have been recovered.

The passengers were travelling from the oil city of Warri to attend a funeral in Ughelli North district when the boat overturned on Saturday, said a Delta state government spokesman.

''Several people died because the overcrowded boat capsized very late in the night and it was very difficult to rescue the passengers,'' the spokesman said.

Nigeria's waterways and roads are some of the most dangerous in the world, a situation made worse by the near-total absence of emergency services.

Police blame the large number of deaths on overloading, speeding and poor maintenance.

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