From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri
At least five persons have been confirmed dead in a boat mishap along Bennett Island River in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Six other persons, who were reportedly injured in the boat collision, are currently battling for their lives at an undisclosed hospital.
This comes barely a few days after an earlier boat mishap involving a boat engaged by the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, and another owned by billionaire businessman and Chairman of Maton Engineering Nigeria Limited, Mr. Matthew Tonlagha.
It was learnt that the Speaker was returning from his village after an outing on Friday, November 22, 2024, when his boat and another collided, resulting in the deaths of about six persons and several others injured.
Guwor narrowly escaped death in the mishap, according to sources, but the other smaller boat was shattered, and several persons were said to have died, with others hospitalized.
One source said that one of the victims of the Speaker’s boat mishap would be buried tomorrow, Wednesday, at one of the Gbaramatu communities.
It was unclear if the incident involving the Speaker was the same as the one which reportedly occurred on Monday, but some reports said the incident happened when the speedboat carrying passengers returning from a burial collided with a submerged log, causing it to capsize.
“The collision threw many passengers overboard into the water, many of whom were unable to swim and were not wearing life jackets.
“Many of the passengers on the ferry drowned almost immediately upon being tossed into the river,” local sources disclosed.
But against claims that over 30 lives were lost during the incident, State Police Public Relations Officer SP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, said that five persons died.
He said that six were injured and still receiving treatment, while nineteen had so far been rescued, but one was still missing.
“Five found dead, six persons injured and still receiving treatment, nineteen persons rescued, one still missing,” Edafe said.