CITIZENS COMPASS—A pastor alongside his wife and some of their church members reportedly lost their lives yesterday, when a passenger-boat capsized along the Odioma-Brass River in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The incident occurred during a trip to Yenagoa for a church programme.
According to eyewitnesses, the boat ran into severe weather conditions during a heavy rainfall before overturning in the river.
It was gathered that local divers and emergency responders rescued some of the passengers but the pastor and his wife did not survive the incident.
The body of the pastor’s wife was said to be recovered from the river and deposited in a morgue, while frantic efforts continued to locate the pastor and other passengers believed to be missing.
Spokesperson of the Bayelsa State Police Command, DSP Musa Mohammed, confirmed the incident.
He said that rescue operations were still ongoing and authorities could not immediately
determine the exact number of casualties.
The spokesperson said operatives of the Marine Unit of the Nigeria Police Force had joined local divers and community volunteers in the search mission.
“The number of casualties cannot be confirmed for now because rescue efforts are still ongoing,” the police spokesperson said.
The Youth President of Odioma Community, Moses Inene, also confirmed that the pastor and his wife were among those involved in the accident.
He revealed that local divers had been mobilised to intensify the search operation in the river as families of the victims waited anxiously for updates.
The tragedy has sparked renewed concerns over water transportation safety in riverine communities, especially during periods of bad weather and heavy rainfall.
