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Over 8 passengers have died in another boat accident along Oyoma river, near Oporoma, the headquarters of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The latest incident which occured on Wednesday came barely five days after a similar boat accident killed about six persons including a corps member travelling from Otuan and Ayama rivers in the same Southern Ijaw LGA.
It was learnt that in the latest incident, a 75 horse-power engine boat rammed into another due to bad weather and poor visibility.
The boat Newsband gathered was conveying 12 passengers from Korokorosei to Ayama when it rammed into a local boat conveying food stuffs from Yenagoa to Ayama.
It was said to be raining and the tarpaulin used to provide shield for the passengers was blown away and covered the boat driver’s face, making him to lose control and hit the local boat.
Also, the passengers were said to be travelling without using life jackets.
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The state chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Ipigansi Ogoniba, who confirmed the Wednesday’s accident, said the union had banned any boat from loading without passengers wearing life jackets.
He added that the boats would be handed over to the police.
He said, “Yes, we have been at the scene of the accident. It occurred at Oyoma near Oporoma and eight people died. One of the boats, the local boat, stopped and the other one hit it.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Asinim Butswat, also confirmed the incident.
