News

August 26, 2019

Just in: Vessel with over 100 persons on board capsized in Calabar

Sokoto’s endless season of sorrow: 110 killed in tragic boat mishaps

Graphic content / Local fishermen collect a body of a victim by capsized cruise boat on lake Victoria at Mutima village, about 50km south of capital Kampala. – Twenty-two people have died and more than 60 are feared drowned after a pleasure boat sank on Lake Victoria, Ugandan police said on November 25. The vessel was carrying day trippers from Ggaba landing site about 10 kilometers from the capital Kampala to a resort across Murchison Bay according to local people. (Photo by Isaac Kasamani / AFP)

…some passenger feared dead

…incident caused by overload at 7:45 pm Sunday

By Ike Uchechukwu 

CALABAR- A vessel, which left Calabar, the Cross River State capital, for Cameroon with over 100 persons on board, capsized late yesterday, but was discovered on Monday afternoon. 

Vessel

Vanguard learned that the vessel left the Terminal C of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) operated by Shoreline Logistics before the incident occurred on the high sea on the way to Cameroon.

Vanguard gathered the boat left Calabar around 4 pm, and the incident happened around 6 pm.

A source at the terminal who pleaded anonymity said the boat left from here and was on the way to Cameroon and had over 100 persons on board.

The source said: “On the way to Cameroon it capsized on the high sea. We cannot confirm anything at this moment for now but that is what happened,”

Also read: Seventeen Chinese, Ukrainian seamen kidnapped off Cameroon

At the terminal in the morning, people were heard talking about the incident in whispers.

An affected merchant who also pleaded anonymity said he had some cargo he was transporting was lost.

“From what we heard, the boat sank capsized on the high sea and even some passengers may be missing.

“The ship, as usual, was overloaded and that is what has been happening  The Federal Government should do more to ensure the safety of the passengers and the safety of the ship and the cargo.

“This is not the first time this is happening. The government should do more about safety,” he said.

Vanguard