Twelve people have been rescued after a Nigerian tugboat sank off the coast of South Africa late Saturday night, while one fatality has been confirmed and five others remain missing.

The tugboat, identified as LEO, had 18 persons on board when it ran aground about 18 nautical miles offshore in stormy waters between Cape Town and Durban. The vessel was said to have been in South Africa for repairs and was heading back to Lagos at the time of the incident.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed the development on Monday, citing information received from South African authorities.

According to her, the South African Ministry of Transportation confirmed that 12 occupants were rescued alive, one person was found dead, and search operations are ongoing for the remaining five.

“The South Africa Ministry of Transportation informed us of this development,” the minister said.

She added that the South African Maritime Safety Authority had commenced rescue efforts immediately after the incident and that the survivors were being transported to Port Elizabeth.

“The South African Maritime Safety Authority has also informed that survivors are presently being conveyed to Port Elizabeth, where officials from the Nigeria High Commission are on their way to receive them,” she stated.

Nigerian diplomatic officials in South Africa are coordinating with local authorities to provide assistance to the rescued crew members, while efforts continue to locate those still unaccounted for.

The circumstances surrounding the grounding of the vessel are yet to be fully disclosed, but authorities indicated that rough weather conditions may have contributed to the accident.

Further details are expected as rescue and recovery operations continue.