Executive Secretary Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Paul Odenigbo, said that only nine persons survived the Ogbaru boat accident and that some 20 corpses have been recovered so far.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Desmond Amugo, driver of the boat that capsized at Ogbaru in Anambra on Friday, has said that he was not carrying 85 passengers on that fateful day, but 48.
The media has been awash with reports that 85 passengers boarded the boat and that 76 had been confirmed dead.
Speaking on Sunday at Atani, headquarters of Ogbaru Local Government Area while briefing government officials on the circumstances that led to the accident, the driver said the majority of the passengers he had on the boat were women and children trying to escape from their flooded communities.
Nine passengers have been seen alive, while 20 corpses have been recovered so far from the accident. 10 of the corpses were recovered on Sunday.
Amaugo explained that he sailed into a heavy wave which affected the smooth operation of the boat and resulted in it hitting one of the pillars supporting the Umunnakwe/Ossomala Bridge.
He said his spirited efforts to manoeuvre from danger were unsuccessful as he lost control of the boat before it capsized.
The driver also said some of the women had besieged his house very early on Friday and persuaded him to ferry them to Ogbakuba, another location that was not submerged by flood.
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Family members who identified some of the corpses were seen lamenting their losses. One of them, Bernard Achonu, said he lost his wife and three children aged between six years and two years.
“My wife and the children were moving to a safe place because our house was already submerged,” he said.
In his remarks, Executive Secretary Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Paul Odenigbo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the search for more victims was still ongoing.
He said that only nine persons survived the Ogbaru boat accident and that some 20 corpses have been recovered so far.
“When this kind of accident occurs, it usually takes little time before the dead bodies start to float; we hope that once that happens, all the remaining bodies will be recovered,” he said.
