No fewer than 28 persons have lost their lives in a boat mishap in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger.

Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Ahmed Inga, confirmed is in a statement issued in Minna on Sunday.

He said the occupants of the boat were 100 passengers coming from Zumba from Tija village of Munya Local Government Area of the state.

Inga said the incident happened on May 8, at about 6 p.m 50 metres to their destination when the boat hit the stump of a tree and broke up.

He said 65 people survived, 28 corpses recovered by local divers while seven people were missing.

The director general said search and rescue operation was still ongoing to recover the missing persons.

NAN