Abuja, Nov 29 (IANS): Scores of people were dead after a wooden boat carrying over 200 passengers and crew capsized at a section of the River Niger, one of the two largest rivers in Nigeria.

The boat, carrying mainly market women and farm labourers from Kogi to a weekly market in Niger on Friday -- Kogi and Niger are two states in the country's central region -- capsized midway, Suleiman Makama, a spokesman for the National Inland Waterways Authority, told reporters in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State.

So far, eight bodies have been recovered by rescue operators, including local divers, Makama said, while confirming an ongoing search and rescue operation, Xinhua news agency reported.

A local source told Xinhua that none of the passengers and crew members wore lifejackets during the trip.

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, often due to overloading, adverse weather conditions, and operational errors.

In October, over 150 people, mostly women and children, perished after a wooden boat carrying approximately 300 passengers capsized on the River Niger upstream of Jebba Dam, according to local authorities.