Police officials in Nigeria have reported that at least 20 people were killed as a result of an explosion and a subsequent fire on a boat transiting a river in the southern part of the country on Wednesday, August 7.
The unnamed wooden vessel was ferrying passengers across the Ezetu 1 River between the communities of Ekeni and Yenagoa in Bayelsa state when its engine exploded. The blast then ignited a blaze, and some of the passengers were burned to death as the boat gradually sank.
A local maritime union official said emergency responders were unable to reach the area in time as the region had no telephone network in place.
The cause of the engine's explosion and the exact number of people who were on the boat at the time of the tragedy remain unknown.
Fatal maritime accidents in Nigeria, particularly in the country's more remote communities, have been attributed to regulatory lapses. Mishaps that resulted in death in these areas in recent years have reportedly been caused by factors such as overloading, lack of vessel maintenance, and failure to clear waterways of obstructions.