Around 300 passengers were en route to celebrate the Muslim festival Mawlid in north-central Niger State when their boat capsized, officials report. Rescue workers fear that the death toll from this tragedy, which has already reached 36 confirmed fatalities, may surpass 100 as they continue to recover bodies from the River Niger.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening near the Gbajibo community, according to the state’s emergency agency. As of Thursday, 150 survivors have been rescued, with spokesperson Ibrahim Audu Husseini indicating that the chances of finding any additional survivors are grim. “There is no way one can survive three days underwater,” he stated, emphasizing the urgency of recovering the remaining missing bodies.

While the exact cause of the sinking has not been disclosed, the agency noted that the accident happened after dark, around 8:30pm.