Dare Babalola
South African authorities have confirmed the rescue of 12 crew members from a Nigerian tugboat that sank off the country’s coast, with one person dead and five others still missing.
The LEO tugboat, carrying 18 crew members, had stopped in South Africa for repairs and was headed back to Lagos when it ran aground approximately 18 nautical miles offshore in rough seas between Cape Town and Durban late Saturday.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, announced on Monday that Nigeria had been formally notified of the incident by the South African Ministry of Transportation.
In a statement issued in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, the minister confirmed one fatality and said search and rescue operations were ongoing for the five missing crew members.
“The South Africa Ministry of Transportation informed us of this development.
“The South African Maritime Safety Authority has also informed that survivors are presently being conveyed to Port Elizabeth, where officials from the Nigeria High Commission are on their way to receive them,” the statement quoted the minister as saying.
Further details are expected as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
