A wooden cargo boat named ‘Godbless Dickson,’ which was carrying cargo and over 64 passengers and crew, tragically exploded in the Bayelsa waterways, resulting in 20 confirmed deaths.
This devastating incident took place on Wednesday, August 7, near the Ezetu 1 community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa. ASP Musa Mohammed, the spokesperson for the state police command, confirmed the fatalities to reporters, stating that rescue operations led by the Marine Police unit were still ongoing.
The ill-fated cargo boat was transporting farm produce from a rural settlement to Swali market in Yenagoa when the explosion occurred.
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Ogoniba Ipigansi, the Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria’s Bayelsa Chapter, mentioned that a rescue team from the union, equipped with two speedboats, had been dispatched to the scene to assist those on board.
Ipigansi also noted that the exact number of casualties was still unclear, as the rescue efforts were ongoing and several passengers remained unaccounted for.
Mr. Augustine Amayoro, a speedboat operator involved in the rescue, reported that he had managed to save 10 individuals, leaving other passengers stranded at a nearby fishing camp.
It was reported that wooden cargo boats were exempted from the state government’s ban on nighttime navigation in the waterways. Due to the slow pace of these vessels, they often departed a day earlier than the scheduled weekly market days on Thursdays.