20 die as wooden cargo boat explodes in Nigeria’s waterways
A wooden cargo boat, with over 64 passengers and crew, has exploded and was engulfed with flames, leaving 20 dead in the waterways in Bayelsa State, a tragic incident reported to occurred on Wednesday along the Ezetu 1 community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
Penpushing reports that Bayelsa State Police Command Public Relations Officer Musa Mohammed confirmed the incident involving the boat identified as ‘Godbless Dickson’, laden with cargo and number of passengers.
The police spokesperson said 20 people have been so far confirmed dead, in the ill-fate cargo,while rescue efforts by the Marine Police unit were still ongoing, adding the passenger include farm producers from the rural settlement, en route to Swali market in Yenagoa.
Penpushing further reports that, chairperson of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Bayelsa Chapter Ogoniba Ipigansi, also confirmed the incident on Thursday, explaining that a rescue team of the union, consisting of two speedboats, had been dispatched to the scene to assist the passengers on board.
The chairperson added that the exact number of casualties was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, stressing that the rescue was still underway and several people on board were yet to be accounted for.
Penpushing also reports Augustine Amayoro, a speedboat operator who participated in rescue efforts, disclosed that he rescued 10 persons from the scene, leaving other passengers stranded in the nearby fishing camp.
The chairperson of the Southern Ijaw, Target Segibo, in his reactions bemoaned the loss of 20 persons in the incident, which he described as disastrous as regrettable, however, called for concerted efforts by stakeholders to strengthen safety regulations in the marine transport sector.
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