Tragedy struck on the waters of Bayelsa State, as a wooden boat carrying 20 people, mostly vendors transporting food and goods to coastal communities, caught fire and exploded in the middle of the river.
According to the police, all 20 occupants lost their lives in the devastating accident, which occurred at the Ezetu 1 community river in Southern Ijaw local government area.
Rescue efforts are currently underway to retrieve the bodies of the drowned passengers.
The spokesman for the state police command, ASP Musa Muhammed, who confirmed the incident to journalists on Thursday, said rescue operations were ongoing to recover the drowned passengers of the ill-fated boat.
He said: “The local boat travelling from Ekeni community in Southern Ijaw to Yenagoa had a mishap and sank, about 20 persons were reported to have lost their lives. Efforts are ongoing to recover their corpses.”
According to a community source, the unfortunate incident occurred around 4:30 pm on Wednesday when the boat conveying passengers, including market women reportedly caught fire on their way back from Ezetu community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to reports, the ill-fated boat operated a weekly makeshift market, travelling from community to community along the coastal area before returning to Yenagoa.
Mr. Ipgansi Ogoniba, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union in Bayelsa State, confirmed the accident, stating that the boat caught fire while en route to Okubie community, burning some passengers on board.
Although he could not confirm the number of casualties due to ongoing search operations, the union’s rescue team recovered one body late Wednesday evening.
He said: “The boat left Ezetu 1 community around 3 pm as they were coming to Okubie. The onboard engine they were using got fire and exploded, so the boat got burnt and sank. Some of the people onboard were drowned in the water, there was no network at that point to reach the rescue team from Yenagoa because that wooden boat always takes about 18 hours to reach Yenagoa from that point, while speedboat takes like 5 hours.”
Comrade Odede Dinikpete Tina, Chairperson of the Association of Coastal and Waterways Communities of Nigeria in Bayelsa State, attributed the high number of casualties to the failure of boat operators to adhere to safety protocols, particularly the wearing of life jackets.
She urged the state government to intensify efforts to connect more coastal communities by road, highlighting the need to reduce the frequent loss of lives on the waterways.
Despite the association’s repeated sensitisation campaigns on safety protocols, Tina lamented that many passengers still refuse to wear life jackets while travelling on water.
