ABUJA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Three dead bodies have been recovered while four are still missing following a canoe mishap in a river in central Nigeria, a local official confirmed on Tuesday.
The canoe which was said to be overloaded at the time of the incident had capsized in the middle of Gwayaka River near Lafia, capital of the northcentral state of Nasarawa, on Friday evening.
Shuaibu Zanwa, head official of the Lafia East area of the state, told Xinhua that some victims, however, came out alive.
Zanwa confirmed that as of Monday, three bodies had been recovered by local divers working in collaboration with security agencies. Efforts are still underway to rescue the remaining four victims whose bodies were washed away, he said.
Local sources said the canoe was paddled by one passenger, whose ability to do so was questionable.
An investigation has been launched to unravel the real cause of the canoe mishap, local police said.
