Approximately 20 individuals, including children, are presumed dead following a boat accident along the Andoni-Bonny coastal waters in Rivers State on Tuesday.
Although the details of the incident are still limited at the time of compiling this report, the mishap involved two passenger boats operating along the routes. A majority of the victims were reportedly from Ngo town, Ataba, and Isiama communities in the Andoni Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the incident, Gogo Obolo, the chairman of Obolo Youths Coalition, Bonny LG chapter, stated in a phone conversation that the passengers were returning from Ngo town in Andoni to Bonny Island when the accident occurred.
Expressing concern over the fact that none of the affected victims has been recovered, he urged Chief Erastus Awortu, the Chairman of the local government, and his counterpart in Bonny LG to promptly recover the bodies of the victims and provide support to their families.
Obolo stated, “The Andoni people residing in Bonny Local Government Area received shocking news of our brothers and sisters involved in a boat accident while returning from the Christmas celebrations.
“While we pray that the rescue effort yield more success to reduce the pain of the accident, we imploy the Andoni local government chairman, Chief Erastus Awortu, and his counterpart in Bonny LG, Anengi Barasua, to visit the family of the victims in this trying period.”
Meanwhile, Awortu, the Chairman of Andoni LGA, who verified the boat accident, mentioned that he promptly deployed a rescue team upon receiving a distress call, resulting in the rescue of some individuals.
In a statement he authored and acquired by our correspondent on Wednesday, Awortu expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident and pledged to cover the medical expenses of those who were rescued.
However, he cautioned the people and residents of Andoni to refrain from undertaking night journeys on the waterways and urged boat operators to consistently adhere to safety regulations.
The statement read, “We received with rude shock and deep pain a disturbing report that over 20 persons from Andoni are feared dead in a boat accident involving two Andoni/Bonny-bound boats which occurred within the Andoni waterways on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
“Upon receiving the sad news, we immediately dispatched our team to join the first responders on rescue mission at the scene of the incident in a bid to salvage the situation.
“We are closely monitoring the situation to offer further support, especially to give the survivors necessary medical attention and recover the remains of the dead from the sea.
“Our hearts go out to the families and communities of victims of this unfortunate disaster especially Ngo Town, Ataba, Isiama and other Communities whose loved ones were involved in the boat mishap.
“We share in their pain and trauma, our prayers and thoughts are with them in this moment of grief. We will do whatever we can as a Local Government to reduce the burden of grief of the bereaved families and communities.
“While we bemoan the boat mishap which came at a time when our people were still basking in the mood of a successful festive season in Andoni, we call on operators of water transportation in Andoni to ensure strict compliance of all passengers to safety rules.
“We also warn the operators to desist from embarking on night journeys on sea.”
Attempts to contact the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to numerous calls made to her. Additionally, she has not replied to a text message sent to her as of the time when this report was filed on Wednesday morning.