At least 20 individuals are feared dead following an incident involving two passenger boats traveling from Andoni to Bonny island in Nigeria’s coastal Rivers State, local officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The accident, occurring along the Andoni waterways on Tuesday night, marks the first such mishap in the region this year.
Erastus Awortu, chairman of Andoni local government area, stated that immediate efforts were made to dispatch rescue teams to aid the first responders at the accident site.
However, details regarding survivors were not immediately provided.
Boat accidents in Nigerian waterways are often attributed to overcrowding and inadequate maintenance.
Last year, the country witnessed nearly 200 fatalities due to boat accidents. Notably, a disaster in June claimed over 100 lives after an overloaded boat capsized in Niger State in north-central Nigeria.
Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara extended condolences to the affected families and assured measures to address threats to safe travel along sea route
