The death toll from an overloaded boat that capsized in a remote part of Nigeria’s north central region has risen to more than 100, police and officials said on Wednesday, in one of the worst such disasters in recent years.

The wooden boat was ferrying people to Kwara state across the Niger River from neighboring Niger state after a wedding party when it capsized on Monday night. Approximately 270 individuals were loaded on the boat, well above its capacity of 100 people.

Kwara state police spokesperson Ajayi Okasanmi told Reuters on Wednesday that 103 people had been confirmed dead.

“The boat capsized in complete darkness and it wasn’t until hours later that we were alerted,” Mr. Ajayi said. The death toll stood at 103 as of Tuesday evening and was likely to rise, he added.

River boat accidents are a recurring issue in Nigeria, a West African nation where overloading, lax safety regulations, the absence of life jackets and poor maintenance often lead to deadly incidents. Nighttime sailing is outlawed across the country, but the ban remains poorly enforced.

The New York Times notes that the 2,600-mile-long Niger, the main river in West Africa, acts as a key regional trade route, originating far to the west in Guinea and flowing in a vast arc northeast into the Sahel, then southeast and finally south, discharging into the Atlantic through the Niger Delta, in southeastern Nigeria. It is Africa’s third-longest river, after the Nile and the Congo.