File photo of a boat mishap
BY Monsuroh Abdulsemiu
One person has died in a boat accident in Bayelsa state.
Ipigansi Ogoniba, state chairman of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, said the accident happened in Okubie community of Southern Ijaw LGA.
Ogoniba added that a speedboat carrying 15 passengers capsized, though the cause of the accident remains unclear.
“While concerned citizens rescued the other passengers from the community, one person drowned due to the rising water level in the area,” he said.
On August 8, a wooden cargo boat carrying over 64 passengers and crew exploded and caught fire on Bayelsa waterways, resulting in the the deaths of about 20 people.
In response to the incident, the Bayelsa state government announced new safety measures.
The measures included a ban on cooking in wooden boats, restrictions on carrying more petrol than is necessary for the journey, and a requirement for all passengers to wear lifejackets.
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