LAGOS, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 people were feared dead on Sunday in Bukoro village in central north Nigeria's Kwara State while crossing a border river between Nigeria and Republic of Benin.

The incident occurred when two canoes conveying people from Yarawodo village in Republic of Benin to Bukoro capsized in the middle of River Nano which marks the border of the two countries, the Lagos based Daily Independent newspaper reported on Monday.

About 80 passengers were said to have boarded the two canoes. The canoes were said to be conveying the victims from neighboring Yarawodo village in Benin Republic back to Bukuro after business transactions and schooling.

About 30 corpses have reportedly been found while the number of survivors is put at about 35. Sabi Idris, the head of Guanara in the local government, described the incident as the worst in the history of Guanara district.

The traditional ruler, who sympathized with the families of those who died in the incident, urged the Nigerian federal government to pay more attention to the development of border towns.