By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
Tragedy struck weekend in the riverside border town of Sagbama, headquarters of Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa State, as seven persons reportedly lost their lives in a boat mishap.

The incident, which threw the serene riverside community into mourning, occurred at about 6.00 p.m. when a wooden boat ferrying passengers across the Forcados River to neighbouring Agoloma in Delta State sank mid river.

Our correspondent, who visited the riverside town, the scene of the mishap, learnt from eyewitnesses that the passengers of the ill-fated eighteen-seater boat were going for a wake keep at Agoloma in the Patani local government area of Delta State directly opposite Sagbama in Bayelsa when they met their untimely death.

The death toll, it was learnt, could have been more but for the quick intervention of nearby boat drivers who helped to rescue some of the victims of the capsized boat.

The victims were said to have travelled down from Asaba, the Delta State capital to Sagbama on the invitation of their friend, a native of Agoloma, to attend the wake keep of his relation.

It was gathered that the ill-fated boat was overloaded not only with passengers but also with foodstuff and drinks, causing it to sink mid river.

Eyewitnesses quoted survivors as saying they told the driver his overloaded boat was leaking and pleaded with him to stop and find solution to the problem when disaster struck.

”It happened so fast that before anything could be done, the boat sank leaving the passengers at the mercy of turbulent waves,” one of the survivors was quoted as saying.

As the time of filing this report, rescuers were still searching for the bodies of missing passengers, some of which are expected to float to the surface later in the day.

Contacted, Bayelsa State police public relations officer, Mr. Eguavoen Emokpae, said he was yet to get news of the incident but a police officer at the Sagbama police station, who spoke under anonymity, confirmed the incident which he blamed on carelessness on the part of the boat operator.