Passengers swim to safety as boat capsizes in Bayelsa

A passenger boat capsized near Okoroma in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Thursday in an accident involving a cargo boat. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that occupants of the passenger boat swam to safety, but the cargo boat sank. The Assistant Secretary of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Okpoama Unit, Bayelsa, Tari Dikuma, who was part of the rescue operation, said no life was lost. He said goods worth millions of naira were lost, but some were salvaged. “So far we have not recorded any casualty, but we have salvaged a lot of items using speed boats, barges and open boats,’’ he said. The state police spokesman, SP Asinim Butswat, said the accident had not been reported to the police and could not provide further details. NAN