Many have been declared dead and several other missing after a boat was destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning at approximately 5.30 a.m. in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State
Ipigansi Ogoniba, the chairman of the Bayelsa State Chapter of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, stated on Thursday that while the boat was carrying roughly 64 people at the time of the tragedy, some of them managed to swim to safety.
It will be challenging, according to Ogoniba, to specify the exact number of people who perished or survived until much later, when he gets information from boats and local divers involved in ongoing rescue operations.
Traders would typically use the Yenagoa bound boat to transport their goods from one riverine market to another, arriving back in Yenagoa in time for the Swali Ultra Modern Market’s market days on Monday and Thursday.
Although the exact cause of the incident is still unknown, it is thought to have begun with incorrect handling of petrol near the onboard engine.
Ogoniba uttered, “If anybody says that 18 or 20 persons died, they will be lying because we cannot say for now how many people died or survived.
“The boat carries about 64 persons including load like garri, beans and rice. It moves from community to community where the traders sell their goods and returns on Sunday or Wednesday to meet the market here.
“On the return journey, it carries people from town to town; many people join the local boat because it is cheap compared to a speedboat where you pay N12,000 from Ezetu to Yenagoa”
In response, Odede Denikpete Tina, Chairperson of the Association of Coastal and Waterways Communities of Nigeria, Bayelsa State, attributed the event to the state’s boat operators’ disregard for safety precautions including donning life jackets.
In an effort to reduce the need for water transport, Odede is also happy with the state government’s increased efforts to connect more riverine towns by road.
The local boat was sailing from Ekeni to Yenagoa when the event occurred, according to Police Public Relations Officer Musa Mohammed, who confirmed the incident and estimated that roughly 20 people died. Mohammed reported that there were still rescue operations taking on at the scene.
