A boat carrying goods and passengers sank in Bayelsa State, leaving three people confirmed dead and a number of others reported missing.
On the Yenagoa-Brass waterways at Okoroma in the Nembe Local Government Area, the boat capsized, carrying an average of around 100 passengers, mostly traders.
The bodies that were retrieved were those of Mrs. Biodoumoye Romeo and Ms. Ayebatorudigiyo Amakiri, according to a source who was involved in the rescue effort; the third victim, a boat worker, remained unidentified.
The accident happened on Thursday at 1:30. Even as searches continue, the tragedy has devastated the Nembe and Brass communities.
Ogoniba Ipigansi, the Bayelsa State Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, confirmed the occurrence and said that millions of naira's worth of cargo were lost in the accident.
He also claims that three deaths have been confirmed.
"We have been trying to save the cargo and the passengers since the boat, MV Tari, capsized," he said. The things have been found in some cases. We attempted to retrieve the items using speed boats, barges, and open boats, but we were unsuccessful.
A similar vessel, the MV Believer, went down last year close to Okoroma.