Nineteen bodies have been recovered following Wednesday’s cargo boat accident along the Ezetu I community river in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The ill-fated boat conveying traders mostly women and their merchandise was said to have left the Ezetu I community on the Atlantic fringe around 3 pm on the fateful day and sailing to Swali in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital when its engine exploded, caught fire and sank in the middle of the river.

No fewer than twenty of the occupants’ the majority of whom are of Igbo extraction, perished in the tragic accident.

At the time of filing this report, nineteen bodies of the victims were said to have been recovered by local divers and men of the marine division of the Nigeria Police.

Sixteen of the corpses, it was learned, were conveyed to the state capital and deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa on Friday while the other three are expected to arrive tomorrow morning.

It was further learned that the remains of the victims were received at the Marine Police close to the Federal Medical Centre by the state Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Faith Zibs-Godwin alongside other top government officials.

The Chairman of Maritime Workers Union, Bayelsa State chapter, Ipigansi Ogoniba who spoke with Vanguard late on Friday night confirmed the development.

He said nineteen bodies of victims of the tragic boat mishap were recovered on Friday after an intensive search operation conducted by local divers, men of the Nigerian Police Force and other relevant agencies.

“The search and rescue team have recovered nineteen bodies and they have brought sixteen of the bodies to Yenagoa which were deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre. Three of the bodies are still at Ezetu and we are expecting them tomorrow (Saturday),”

vanguard