A crowded ferry boat has capsized in Nigeria's Niger State, drowning at least 32 people, rescuers said on Thursday, raising the toll from the country's latest fatal boat tragedy.

The vessel, which had nearly 100 men, women and children on board, reportedly hit a tree stump.

It capsized on Tuesday morning on the Malale River in the North Central region of the country, Red Cross representative Abubakar Idris told AFP.

"The cause was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stump," the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said.

Raising an earlier toll, SEMA said 32 people were known to have died.

"After a thorough search and rescue operation, our men at Borgu (local district) have discovered three more bodies.

"Eight (people) are still missing and 50 survivors have been r

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