43 people dead after boat capsized in southwestern Niger near Benin border

Forty-three people, most of them from Benin, are missing after a boat accident in the Niger River, a local official said Thursday. The accident happened early Wednesday in Sambera, southwestern Niger, near the border with Benin, Sambera Mayor Oumarou Hassane told AFP.

"Sixty-two people were saved and 43 others are missing, judging from the number of shoes that have been recovered," he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)