20 People Missing After Delta Boat Mishap, Search Efforts Underway

A boat accident at Beneth Island in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, over the weekend has resulted in the loss of at least eight lives, including a toddler, with more than 20 passengers still missing.

The tragic incident occurred when a speedboat, carrying passengers returning from a burial ceremony, collided with a submerged log, causing the vessel to capsize. Many passengers were thrown into the water, and as the boat sank, several drowned almost immediately, while others disappeared in the murky waters.

Among the victims was a one-year-old child whose body was discovered hours later floating along the creek. Eyewitnesses reported that the boat was traveling at high speed when the accident occurred, and many passengers, unable to swim and without life jackets, struggled to stay afloat.

Rescue teams have launched a search operation in an attempt to locate the missing passengers. However, the fate of the missing remains uncertain, and hopes of finding survivors are diminishing as time passes.

Families of the victims are left in shock and grief, holding onto the hope that some of the missing, particularly children, may still be found alive. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bright Edafe, has urged the public to remain patient as efforts continue to confirm the full extent of the tragedy.