Two persons have been confirmed dead, while the whereabouts of thirteen others remain unknown after a speedboat carrying passengers collided with a fishing boat.
According to local sources, the speedboat was transporting passengers from Anyama Ijaw, Lubia, and Foropa communities in Southern Ijaw to the Akede community waterfront in the Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
A local source at the Akede waterfront explained that the accident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Two fisherwomen aboard the fishing boat were confirmed dead after the speedboat ran over their boat, while the passengers in the speedboat were yet to be found.
He said some divers had already begun search efforts to rescue any missing passengers.
However, communication was hampered due to network challenges in the area at the time of the incident.
He said: “A speedboat named Meeting Marine, powered by a 115HP engine and operated by a man identified as Saturday, was traveling from Anyama Ijaw towards Lubia and Foropa communities when it collided with a fishing boat at the Akede Community waterfront.”
Reports indicate that a woman and a young girl from the fishing boat tragically drowned, while another woman also lost her life.
The Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria in Bayelsa State, Ogoniba Ipigansi, confirmed the incident, saying that the Union and Divers were en route to the Akede community waterfront for a rescue mission.
He confirmed the deaths of two fisherwomen and said that thirteen passengers from the speedboat were still missing.
However, he expressed hope that they might be rescued, as all the speedboat passengers were wearing life jackets.
Ipigansi noted that the union was alerted to the accident but faced difficulties with rescue operations due to poor network coverage in the area.
Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Musa Muhammad also confirmed the incident, stating that the speedboat driver was in police custody for questioning.
