Tragedy struck early Saturday morning when an engine boat loaded with about 85 passengers, capsized and killed no fewer than 76 persons.
The ill-fated boat reportedly took off from Onukwu Bridge and was heading to Nkwo market, Ogbakuba in Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state, before it capsized.
A source from the State Emergency Management Authority confirmed that the incident happened on Saturday morning.
He said, “It has happened. An engine boat that loaded about 85 passengers at Onukwu bridge Ossomala enroute to Nkwo Ogbakuba market capsized this morning. Only nine passengers were rescued, the rest are yet to be seen.
“I wasn’t there when the boat loaded but the information we got unofficially is that it loaded 85.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, expressed sadness over the boat accident and directed the relevant agencies to check the safety protocols on the vessels plying the waters to ensure their river worthiness.
This was conveyed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled ‘President Buhari expresses grief over Anambra boat accident.’
According to Shehu, “As more details are awaited, the president has directed all other rescue and relief agencies to rush to the site of the accident.
“He also directed the relevant agencies of government to check the safety protocols on these transport ferries to make sure such incidents are avoided in the future.
“President Buhari said he was saddened by the boat accident and directed that all possible efforts be made to account for all the passengers.”
The president, therefore, prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for everyone’s safety, as well as the well-being of the family members of the victims of the tragic accident.
He directed the emergency services to provide relief to the victims.“I pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for everyone’s safety, as well as the well-being of the family members of the victims of this tragic accident,” he added.
However, there were conflicting figures on Sunday on the casualty figure and numbers of those rescued from the scene of the accident.
Anambra State Government, through a statement by the Governor’s Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, late on Saturday, indicated that more than 30 people have been rescued while six people, including two children and two ladies, were confirmed dead.
However, former Transition Committee Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Arinze Awogu, gave the casualty figure as 13,
An indigene of the area identified as Eze Ogbugbulu, however, said 16 bodies had been recovered, including children.
The state government’s statement read, “The following are more facts emanating from the unfortunate boat mishap in Ogbaru. More than 30 people were rescued by expert swimmers.
“Six people, including two kids and two ladies, were confirmed dead. The incident occurred on Friday, October 7, 2022.
“About 40 passengers were said to have boarded the ill-fated boat. The engine of the boat was said to have failed three minutes into the journey and the surging waves hit the boat on a collapsed bridge and it subsequently capsized.”
In separate news, the Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Authority, South-East, Mr Thickman Tanimu, had told journalists on Saturday that 85 people were in the ill-fated boat.
“Out of the 85 persons, nine were found and the remaining 76 are nowhere to be found,” he had said.
Earlier on Sunday, the emergency services said rising water level was hampering rescue efforts.
“The water level is very high and too risky for a smooth search and rescue operation,” Thickman Tanimu, the southeast coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told AFP.
He said the flooding was the worst the country has seen in years, with the water level around one-tenth higher than a decade ago.
NEMA requested the Nigerian Air Force provide helicopters for the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo has urged residents of flood-ravaged areas to relocate, adding that government would provide relief to those affected by the disaster.
“This development is still a shock to the government and good people of Anambra State. I sympathise with the families of people involved,” Soludo said in a statement.
Boat accidents occur regularly in Nigeria because of overloading, speeding, poor maintenance and disregarding navigation rules.
Since the start of the rainy season, many regions of the West African nation of more than 200 million people have been devastated by floods.
More than 300 people have been killed and at least 100,000 made homeless, according to the emergency services.
The continuous rain has washed away farmland and crops, sparking fears of food shortages, famine and hunger in a country already struggling with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine
