•Gov Diri expresses sadness
Up to 20 people have been confirmed dead as a wooden cargo boat loaded with cargo and over 64 passengers and crew exploded and burst into flames in Bayelsa waterways.
The cargo boat identified as ‘Godbless Dickson’, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported on Thursday, exploded on Wednesday in the Ezetu 1 community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa.
Bayelsa Police Command spokesman, ASP Musa Mohammed, confirmed to NAN that 20 people had been confirmed so far while rescue efforts by the Marine Police unit were still ongoing.
The ill-fated cargo boat laden with farm produce from the rural settlement was en route to Swali market in Yenagoa.
Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Bayelsa Chapter, Mr Ogoniba Ipigansi, also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview.
He said that a rescue team of the union, consisting of two speed boats, had been dispatched to the scene to assist the passengers on board.
He said that the exact number of casualties was yet to be ascertained, as the rescue was still underway and several people on board were yet to be accounted for.
A speedboat operator, Mr Augustine Amayoro, who participated in rescue efforts, said he rescued 10 persons from the scene, leaving other passengers stranded in the nearby fishing camp.
It was gathered that the wooden cargo boats were exempted from the state government’s ban on night navigation on waterways.
Due to the slow pace of navigation, the cargo boats set sail a day ahead of the targeted weekly market days of Thursdays when farm produce flood the Swali waterside in Yenagoa.
Meanwhile, Chief Target Segibo, Chairman of Southern Ijaw LGA, who bemoaned the loss of 20 persons in the incident, described the disaster as regrettable.
He called for concerted efforts by stakeholders to strengthen safety regulations in the marine transport sector.
Similarly, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed sadness over the incident.
Governor Diri, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, expressed the condolences of the state government to families of victims of the mishap.
He also directed the relevant ministries to immediately join the rescue efforts.
The governor said an investigation would be conducted into the cause of the accident and urged boat operators to always observe safety procedures on the state’s waterways.
“The news of another tragic boat accident in our state was shocking and sad. On behalf of the state government, I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
“Upon hearing the news of the tragedy, I immediately directed the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and other relevant government organs to dispatch their teams to the river point to join the rescue efforts.
“This is yet one boat accident too many and the state government will take measures to avert such avoidable tragedy going forward. We will investigate the cause(s) of this mishap.
“I again implore boat operators in the state to ensure they observe proper safety procedures at all times to make our waterways safer.”
