At least twenty people lost their lives when a wooden boat ignited and exploded on a river in Nigeria’s coastal state of Bayelsa on Wednesday, a police spokesperson reported.
The ill-fated cargo boat, carrying farm produce from a rural settlement, was headed to Swali market in Yenagoa, as Mr. Ogoniba Ipigansi, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria’s Bayelsa Chapter, confirmed the incident on Thursday.
He reported that a rescue team from the union, equipped with two speedboats, had been sent to the scene to help those on board.
The precise number of casualties remains unknown, as the rescue operations are ongoing and some individuals are still unaccounted for.
Mr. Augustine Amayoro, a speedboat operator involved in the rescue efforts, reported saving 10 people from the scene, while others remained stranded at a nearby fishing camp.
It was noted that the wooden cargo boats were exempt from the state government’s ban on night navigation.
To keep up with the slow navigation pace, the boats set out a day earlier than the usual market day, which is Thursday, when farm produce typically floods the Swali waterside in Yenagoa.
Last year, at least 200 people were reported killed in boat accidents in Nigeria, with authorities frequently citing overcrowding and inadequate maintenance as contributing factors.