At least five people were confirmed dead after the incident, and 20 others remain missing
At least five people have died and 20 remain missing after a speedboat capsized in Delta State, Nigeria, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The accident occurred on Friday in the Warri South-West district. The speedboat reportedly struck a submerged log while returning from a burial ceremony, causing it to overturn. Many passengers were thrown into the water and were unable to swim or not wearing life jackets, according to a local news agency.
According to the Daily Post, there was a one-year-old child on board, whose body was seen hours later floating in the river.
Reports indicate that the boat was traveling at a high speed when the accident occurred. Most passengers drowned almost immediately upon being thrown into the water, according to local news sources.
Search and rescue operations were launched immediately, but the fate of the missing passengers remains uncertain. Six survivors have been rescued and are receiving medical treatment at a local hospital, Reuters reported.
On Monday, another tragedy unfolded near Egypt’s Red Sea coast. The tourist boat Sea Story capsized off Marsa Alam during a diving trip, leaving 16 people, including 12 foreign nationals, missing. Of the 44 people on board, 28 were later rescued with minor injuries, local authorities reported.
In August, a boat explosion in southern Nigeria’s Bayelsa state claimed at least 20 lives. The wooden vessel caught fire while transporting traders from Ekeni to Yenagoa and sank after its engine exploded, according to Ipigansi Ogoniba, chair of the Maritime Workers Union. Some passengers fell victim to the blaze before the boat sank.
