A boat capsized near the fabled northern Malian city of Timbuktu, killing several people, regional authorities said, as the Niger River turned deadly.
Officials said about 50 passengers, travelling with their luggage, were believed to be on board when the vessel sank late Thursday.
Preliminary reports suggest the disaster was caused by failure to follow navigation rules, leaving several people dead and others still missing.
The accident also caused significant material losses, highlighting the fragile and risky transport networks relied upon across Mali’s remote northern regions.
Boats are widely used along the Niger River and its tributaries, which cut through northern Mali like lifelines across desert and dust.
The Niger flows some 1,750 kilometres across Mali, linking the country’s greener south with its arid, isolated northern heartlands.
Mali has endured a deep security crisis since 2012, shaped by jihadist violence and criminal networks that further strain already vulnerable communities.
