3 Children Die as Boat Capsizes in Bayelsa

Three children have died after a passenger boat capsized in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at Ikebiri 1 community when a commercial wooden boat travelling from Azuzuama to Yenagoa overturned.

Local sources said the victims, two boys and one girl aged between six and 15, were recovered by divers and taken back to Azuzuama, where the journey began.

A community diver involved in the rescue confirmed that local efforts led to the recovery of the bodies shortly after the incident.

The former Chairman of the Maritime Union Workers in Bayelsa State, Ipigansi Ogoniba, also confirmed the incident. He said divers had been dispatched from Yenagoa to support ongoing efforts and that details of casualties and the number of passengers were still being verified.

He added that the boat did not depart from Yenagoa, making it difficult to immediately determine the total number of passengers onboard.

Sources said the accident may have been caused by overloading and a faulty pumping machine meant to remove water from the boat.

When contacted, the Bayelsa State Police Command spokesman, DSP Musa Muhammad, said he was not aware of the incident but promised to make findings. He did not respond to further enquiries as of press time.