YENAGOA, Nigeria — A wooden cargo boat named Godbless Dickson exploded and burst into flames on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, leaving 20 people dead and many others missing in the Bayelsa waterways.
The tragic incident occurred along the Ezetu 1 community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealing that the ill-fated boat was carrying farm produce and over 64 passengers and crew members en route to Swali Market in Yenagoa.
ASP Musa Mohammed, the Police Spokesman in Bayelsa, confirmed the death toll to NAN, stating, “20 people have been so far confirmed dead, while rescue efforts by the Marine Police unit are still ongoing.”
Ogoniba Ipigansi, the chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Bayelsa Chapter, also confirmed the incident.
In a telephone interview with a NAN correspondent on Thursday, he mentioned that a rescue team consisting of two-speed boats had been dispatched to assist the passengers.
“The exact number of casualties is yet to be ascertained, as rescue is still underway and several people on board are yet to be accounted for,” he said.
Augustine Amayoro, a speed boat operator who participated in the rescue efforts, reported, “I rescued 10 persons from the scene, leaving other passengers stranded in the nearby fishing camp.”
NAN gathered that wooden cargo boats, like the ‘Godbless Dickson,’ are exempted from the state government’s ban on night navigation on waterways.
Due to their slow pace of navigation, these cargo boats set sail a day ahead of the targeted weekly market days, such as Thursdays when farm produce flood the Swali waterside in Yenagoa.
Target Segibo, Chairman of Southern Ijaw LGA, expressed his sorrow over the incident, describing the loss of 20 lives as regrettable.
“This disaster is deeply unfortunate. There is a pressing need for concerted efforts by stakeholders to strengthen safety regulations in the marine transport sector,” Chief Segibo urged.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown as investigations continue, and the rescue operation persists in the hopes of finding more survivors and accounting for the missing.
