In a heartbreaking turn of events, at least 19 lifeless bodies have been pulled from the murky waters of the Ezetu 1 river in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following a devastating cargo boat accident that unfolded on Wednesday.
The doomed vessel, carrying a group of traders—predominantly women burdened with their wares—departed from the Ekeni community, only to meet a fiery catastrophe at Ezetu I, along the treacherous Atlantic fringe, around 3 PM, as it navigated towards Swali, the bustling heart of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State’s capital.
Local divers, alongside the dedicated men of the marine division of the Nigeria Police, worked tirelessly during search and rescue operations, ultimately recovering no fewer than 19 corpses from the depths of despair. Sixteen of these grim remains were solemnly transported to the morgue at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa late Friday night, while the remaining three would follow in the early hours of Saturday.
The harrowing scene at the Marine Police base, located near the Federal Medical Centre, was marked by the presence of the state Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Faith Zibs-Godwin, and other high-ranking government officials, as they received the tragic remains of the victims.
Ipigansi Ogoniba, the Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union in Bayelsa State, confirmed to grieving journalists the heart-wrenching recovery of the 19 bodies, a stark reminder of the human cost of this maritime disaster.
