Over 20 feared dead in boat mishap in southern Nigeria

Officials in Rivers state in southern Nigeria report that at least 20 people are feared to have died as a result of an accident involving two passenger boats on Tuesday, January 9.

Additional details about the events that resulted in the casualties have not yet been confirmed, though it has been determined that the two vessels involved were plying the route between Andoni and Bonny island at the time of the incident, which occurred at around 20:00 local time on Tuesday.

Search and rescue personnel that arrived on-scene to render assistance have since pulled the bodies of nine deceased individuals from the surrounding waters. Five of the deceased were young children.

An emergency services official warned that the death toll from the tragedy was likely to rise.

In a statement, Erastus Awortu, chairman of the Andoni local government area, called on boat operators to be mindful of safety regulations and to avoid sailing during nighttime.