At least 28 people were confirmed dead and seven others were missing following a boat accident in Nigeria's central-north state of Niger, local authorities said on Sunday.

Ahmed Inga, the director-general of the State Emergency Management Agency in Niger, said the accident happened at about 6 p.m. local time on Saturday when a wooden boat carrying 100 people hit a tree stump and broke in the river in the state's Shiroro region.

A rescue operation was still ongoing to recover the missing persons, Inga said.