Conflicting figures are surrounding the number of dead bodies and recovered persons at the scene of a boat crash that occured at the Umunankwo community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Friday.
While the Anambra State Government through a statement from the governor’s press secretary, Christian Aburime, late on Saturday, indicated that more 30 people had been rescued while six people including two kids and two ladies were confirmed dead, the former Transition Committee Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Arinze Awogu, gave the figures of recovered dead bodies as 13, adding that before the end of the day, more bodies would be recovered.
Again, an indigene of the area, identified as Eze Ogbugbulu, said 16 bodies had been recovered, including children.
The statement from the governor’s press secretary with the caption, ‘Update on the Ogbaru boat mishap’, said the engine of the boat failed three minutes into the journey and the surging waves hit the boat on a collapsed bridge and it subsequently capsized.
It read, “The following are more facts emanating from the unfortunate boat mishap in Ogbaru. “About 40 passengers were said to have boarded the ill-fated boat. The engine of the boat was said to have failed three minutes into the journey and the surging waves hit the boat on a collapsed bridge and it subsequently capsized.
“More than 30 people were rescued by expert swimmers. Six people including two kids and two ladies were confirmed dead. The above update have become necessary to avoid unfounded speculations and undue sensationalisation of the unfortunate incident.”
The Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Authority, South-East, Mr Thickman Tanimu, had told journalists on Saturday that 85 people were in the ill-fated boat.
Tanimu had said, “What I suspected happened on Friday at Ogbaru, Anambra, going by the report we received from the State Emergency Management Agency, is that the water kept rising and the people were trapped. “They decided to escape the rising water and 85 of them jam-packed inside the boat which capsized due to the rising flood. It is very unfortunate because the flood has covered many houses up to roof level. “Out of the 85 persons, nine were found and the remaining 76 are no where to be found. Also at Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area in Enugu, two men and a pregnant woman died in the flood.”
Another source in the area told journalists that the speed boat involved in the mishap could not contain 50 passengers and that the incident was not a result of the flood but a human error. He said the boat rider was inexperienced and unable to control the boat which he said developed electrical fault few minutes after it set sail.
“The boat owner who used it to ferry people was not available when passengers thronged demanding that his brother should carry them in the boat. But fate failed them when the boat engine developed a fault and the young lad who tried effortlessly to start the engine could not control the waves which pushed the boat and it hit Osamala bridge and capsized,” the source said.
Meanwhile, a three-storey building of the Madonna Catholic Church located in Iyiowa, Odekpe Community, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, has collapsed following the ravaging flood.
The incident, it was gathered occured on Sunday morning. The community is one of the many parts of the state battling flooding which is believed to have caused the collapse. A source in the area had said there were no worshippers in the building as of the time it collapsed, except the security man.
As of the time of filing this report, the number of casualties could not be ascertained but residents were still making efforts to see if there were trapped victims in the rubbles.
This is coming less than two days after an ill-fated boat carrying about 85 passengers capsized at Umunnankwo Community in the same Ogbaru LGA with many reportedly dead.
The police authorities and other relevant agencies were yet to respond for reactions on the development.
Credit: Punch