Ipigansi Ogoniba, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria’s Bayelsa State Chapter, has reported on Sunday that one person had died in another boat disaster in the state.
While speaking with Punch, Ogoniba said, “While the other passengers were rescued by concerned citizens from the community, one person drowned due to the rising water level in the area.”
On Saturday, a speedboat transporting 15 passengers overturned near Okubie in the state’s Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Although the reason of the disaster is unknown, Ogoniba reported that an individual drowned and the other passengers were rescued by concerned locals.
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Following the horrific fire that enveloped a wooden boat barely two weeks ago, which sank and killed 20 people, the Bayelsa State Government issued several safety precautions.
The regulations included a ban on cooking in wooden boats, a bar on carrying more than the necessary fuel for the journey, and the use of lifejackets, among others.
However, speedboat operators are known to guarantee that all passengers wear life jackets.
When contacted, Musa Muhammed, the Police Public Relations Officer in Bayelsa State, stated he had no information about the tragedy.
