The Guardian learnt that the explosion occurred on Wednesday when the engine of a wooden boat, popularly known as ‘Denghe’, used as a moving market, caught fire and sank into a river.
According to a source, the incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m.
The chairman of Maritime Workers Union in Bayelsa State, Mr Ipgansi Ogoniba, said the boat caught fire as it sailed to the Okubie community.
He said the number of casualties could not be ascertained and that a search operation was ongoing. He said the rescue team from the union that went to the scene recovered a corpse late on Wednesday evening.
Confirming the development yesterday, the spokesperson for the Bayelsa State Police Command, ASP Musa Muhammed, said rescue operations were ongoing to recover the drowned passengers of the ill-fated boat.
He said: “The local boat travelling from Ekeni community in Southern Ijaw to Yenagoa had a mishap and sank. About 20 persons reportedly lost their lives. Efforts are ongoing to recover their remains.”
Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, expressed sadness over the incident.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, the governor expressed the state government’s condolences to the families of the victims.
He also directed the relevant ministries to immediately join the rescue efforts.
The governor, who said an investigation will be conducted into the cause of the accident, urged boat operators to always observe safety procedures on the state’s waterways.
