Caleb Tamunosaki, Yenagoa
Not less than a six boat passengers including a female member of the National Youth Service Corps, a pregnant woman, a mother and her two children, and a 70-year-old man, lost their lives in a boat mishap in Bayelsa State.
The six passengers drowned in the boat accident which occurred between Otuan and Ayama in the mostly river rine Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.
The Network gathered that the boat which was carrying 15 passengers sped into a barrier in the river and sank while approaching Ayama to berth amidst a heavy rainstorm.
A source confided in our correspondent that the crew covered the passengers with tarpaulin to protect them against the harsh weather when the accident occurred.
Investigation revealed that the corpses of the casualties and the boat were yet to be found as at the time of filing this report.
The unit Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) at Otuan community, Joseph Shadrach, said the police have detained the boat driver identified as Christopher Lucky for driving under the heavy rainstorm which apparently affected visibility.
According to him, preliminary findings revealed that the weather was not okay for the journey as the rainstorm started before the driver embarked on the ill fated journey.
“I was chairman of the union but some persons who claimed to know more than themselves have been taking charge of the Otuan unit.
“If I had been around, I would not have allowed the loading of the boat due to poor visibility and bad weather. I was told a corps member, two children and a woman died.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the sad occurrence.
He said that a search team comprising the marine police, MWUN and divers had been in the ongoing search to retrieve the corpses.
Butswat said further that the boat driver had been taken into custody for interrogation over the circumstances leading to the accident.
The public relations officer of the state NYSC, Matthew Ngobua, said the state coordinator of the scheme moved to the scene of the accident for identification of the deceased corps member.
The state Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Ipigansi Ogoniba, confirmed that six passengers were confirmed dead.
He said that the dead comprised three adults and three children who are still missing.
Ogoniba added that the Bayelsa State authorities of the NYSC had been contacted through the community liaison officer in the bid to identify the late female corps member.
He said, “We got the information and the State Coordinator and other staff left the Orientation (Camp) and went to the place.
“The State Coordinator told me that the corps member’s name is said to be on the passenger manifest and the said corps member is not at the lodge.
“However, we will make a detail report after the search and rescue or when the body is recovered.The NYSC will make an official brief when the body is sighted and properly identified.”