The accident occurred on Monday morning in a river in the Patigi local government area of the state, as the passengers were returning home from the neighboring Niger state in the central region, Ajayi Okasanmi, the spokesman for the police in Kwara, told Xinhua on the phone.

Okasanmi said some others remained missing, confirming that rescue operation was going on in the Kpada community of Patigi local government area.

"I can confirm to you that well over 200 people were involved in the sad incident. We will continue to collaborate with rescuers and other agencies of government to rescue the remaining victims and recover other bodies," the police officer said.

In an earlier statement, Kwara state governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq said the victims of the incident were returning from a wedding in the neighboring Niger state when the incident occurred.

Boat accidents in the West African country are frequently reported due to overloading, bad weather, and faulty operations.