A wooden boat’s engine exploded and sank in the Ezetu 1 River in southern Nigeria, resulting in at least 20 fatalities, local authorities reported on Thursday.
This incident is part of a troubling trend of fatal boat accidents that suggest possible regulatory issues.
The cause of the engine explosion remains unclear, according to Musa Muhammed, a police spokesperson in Bayelsa. The boat was transporting traders from Ekeni, a small community in Bayelsa, to Yenagoa, the state capital, when the explosion occurred. Ipigansi Ogoniba, head of the Maritime Workers Union in Bayelsa, reported that some passengers were burned in the resulting fire before the vessel sank.
Ogoniba mentioned that emergency responders were delayed due to the absence of a telephone network in the area.
Boat accidents have become increasingly common in Nigeria’s remote regions, where residents often crowd into makeshift boats to transport their goods because of poor road infrastructure.
While precise death tolls are not fully documented, there were at least five notable incidents last year involving over 100 passengers each.
These accidents are typically attributed to factors such as overloading, poor boat condition, or obstacles affecting the boat’s movement. Efforts to mitigate these issues, like providing life jackets or enforcing waterway rules, are often not effectively carried out.