KANO, Nigeria
A tragic boat accident in Nigeria’s southern Delta State has killed at least five people, with another 14 still missing after a speedboat collided with a submerged object and capsized.
Six people survived the incident on Friday but hopes for 14 more are fading, with an official telling Anadolu on Tuesday that a search and rescue operation is still underway to find those missing.
Ikechukwu Ikenna, an eyewitness, told Anadolu that he had counted eight bodies by Monday night.
However, Bright Edafe, a spokesperson for the Delta State police command, told Anadolu on Tuesday that only five people have been confirmed dead, and that search operations are still underway to find the missing.
The accident occurred in the remote Gbaramatu Kingdom of the Warri South-West district and was first reported on Friday by Nigeria’s private television channel TVC.
Edafe noted that six survivors from the group of 20 missing people are currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.
This tragic incident involved a collision between two speedboats carrying family members returning from a burial ceremony.
The boats capsized as a result of the impact, throwing passengers into the water, the majority of whom were not wearing life jackets.
Manzo Ezekiel, the National Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, declined to comment on the incident.
However, Chris Ogboh, a Delta State emergency agency official, emphasized that search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
Although divers have yet to locate the missing people, emergency responders are working hard to locate those who are still unaccounted for.
