A boat heading to a yet unknown destination has capsized in Oron, Akwa Ibom state, a rescue official in Nigeria has said.

The boat is reportedly carrying 166 passengers and only two people have so far been rescued, officials said.

Yushau Shuaib of the National Emergency Management Agency told PREMIUM TIMES the boat capsized 40 nautical miles from Calabar leaving an unknown number of passengers dead.

He said nine bodies have so far been recovered and taken to the morgue of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

Two other survivors, he said, are receiving treatment at the hospital.

Mr. Shuaibu said rescue operations are continuing while officials try to determine how many passengers the boat was carrying as well as its origin and initial destination.

There are however suggestions that the boat carried originated from Oron and was headed for Gabon with over 166 passengers on board.