One Dead as Nigerian Tugboat Sinks in South Africa

Twelve crew members have been rescued after a Nigerian tugboat sank off the coast of South Africa late Saturday night, with one confirmed dead, and five people still missing.

The tugboat, with the name LEO, was returning to Lagos after repairs in South Africa and had 18 passengers onboard when it ran aground about 18 nautical miles offshore in stormy waters between Cape Town and Durban.

“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”, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Magnus Eze, said in a statement on Monday.

One Dead as Nigerian Tugboat Sinks in South Africa

According to the South African Ministry of Transportation, 12 people have been rescued alive, while search operations are already going on for the missing 5.

The Nigerian diplomatic officials in South Africa are putting in efforts to locate those still unaccounted for. They are also coordinating with local authorities to provide assistance to the rescued crew members.

Authorities have said that rough weather conditions may have contributed to the accident and are still gathering more information about the tugboat’s condition.

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