Eight passengers are feared drowned after two speed boats collided in the Ikang axis of Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The Bakassi boat mishap occurred while one of the boats, carrying 13 Nigerian passengers, was travelling from Ikang towards the Republic of Cameroon through Cameroonian territorial waters around the Tikoro area.
Key Highlights
- Eight passengers are feared drowned following the boat collision.
- Five passengers were rescued alive with the assistance of local fishermen in Cameroon.
- One of the boats was carrying 13 Nigerian passengers.
- The collision occurred around the Tikoro area in Cameroonian territorial waters.
- Bodies recovered from the incident were brought to Simon Beach, Ikang.
- Marine Police, Ikang, have been directed to facilitate identification of the recovered bodies.
- Police are liaising with relevant authorities and affected families to establish the circumstances of the incident.
Bakassi Boat Mishap Claims Eight Passengers
The Cross River State Police Command disclosed the incident in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Police Public Relations Officer, Eitokpah Sunday Akata.
According to the police, the boat carrying the 13 Nigerian passengers collided with another W23 speed boat fitted with a double Yamaha engine.
“Following the collision, eight passengers were feared drowned, while five passengers were rescued alive with the assistance of local fishermen in Cameroon,” the statement said.
Bodies Brought to Simon Beach
The police said the bodies of those feared drowned were subsequently brought to Simon Beach, Ikang, in Bakassi Local Government Area.
The Command directed the Marine Police, Ikang, to ensure that the recovered bodies are properly identified by their respective families before they are deposited at the morgue.
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Police Begin Investigation
The Cross River State Police Command said it was liaising with relevant authorities and affected families as efforts continued to establish the full circumstances surrounding the boat collision.
The Command did not provide further details on the identity of the passengers or the condition of the other boat involved in the incident.
Authorities are expected to continue efforts to establish the circumstances that led to the Bakassi boat mishap. NIWA’s National Inland Waterways Authority has repeatedly urged waterway users in Nigeria’s coastal and riverine communities to observe safety precautions to curb the recurring toll of boat accidents.
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