GOODS worth millions of naira were lost when a cargo and passenger boat capsized in Bayelsa State on Thursday, April 6.
The incident occurred near Okoroma, Nembe Local Government Area of the state while the boat was crossing the Yenegoa-Nembe-Brass waterways.
Assistant Secretary of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria in Okpoma, Tari Dikuma confirmed the incident in Yenagoa, stating that passengers on the boat swam to safety and no life was lost.
Dikuma, who was part of the rescue team, further disclosed that properties worth millions were lost.
“So far we have not recorded any casualty but we have salvaged a lot of items with speed boats, badge and open boats.” he said.
Boat mishaps in Nigeria have claimed many lives recently. According to a report in October 2022, the country recorded at least 53 boat accidents in less than three years.
The years under review include 2020, 2021 and 2022, during which at least 701 lives were lost to boat accidents in various states.
In Bayelsa alone, at least 35 people died following boat mishaps between 2020 and 2022, according to the report.
Overcrowding, poor maintenance of boats, bad weather conditions, and sometimes, dredging, are a few of the factors responsible for boat accidents in Nigeria.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.