<p>Eighteen people including 15 young girls drowned when a boat capsized in a river in northeast Nigeria, police said on Saturday.</p>.<p>Boat accidents are common in Africa's most populous country because of overloading, disregard of safety guidelines, lack of maintenance and bad weather.</p>.<p>The boat was ferrying passengers to a farm on the other side of Buji River, in Bauchi state, when it overturned on Friday, police spokesman Ahmed Mohammed Wakil said in a statement.</p>.<p>"Corpses were removed from the river and taken to General Hospital Itas," Wakil said. "A medical doctor certified 18 people dead."</p>.<p>A list of the victims showed 15 of them were girls between the ages of eight and 15 while the other three were males aged between 20 and 30.</p>.<p>"Five (passengers) were rescued," Wakil added.</p>.<p>Loss of life is typically high when these accidents occur as many boats do not carry sufficient lifejackets and few learn how to swim.</p>.<p>In September, 12 people were killed in two boat accidents while 10 were killed in August.</p>
<p>Eighteen people including 15 young girls drowned when a boat capsized in a river in northeast Nigeria, police said on Saturday.</p>.<p>Boat accidents are common in Africa's most populous country because of overloading, disregard of safety guidelines, lack of maintenance and bad weather.</p>.<p>The boat was ferrying passengers to a farm on the other side of Buji River, in Bauchi state, when it overturned on Friday, police spokesman Ahmed Mohammed Wakil said in a statement.</p>.<p>"Corpses were removed from the river and taken to General Hospital Itas," Wakil said. "A medical doctor certified 18 people dead."</p>.<p>A list of the victims showed 15 of them were girls between the ages of eight and 15 while the other three were males aged between 20 and 30.</p>.<p>"Five (passengers) were rescued," Wakil added.</p>.<p>Loss of life is typically high when these accidents occur as many boats do not carry sufficient lifejackets and few learn how to swim.</p>.<p>In September, 12 people were killed in two boat accidents while 10 were killed in August.</p>