Twelve Nigerians have been rescued after a Nigerian tugboat, LEO, sank in South African waters late Saturday night, leaving one person dead and five others missing.
The vessel, which was carrying 18 persons, reportedly went down about 18 nautical miles offshore in stormy conditions between Cape Town and Durban while returning to Lagos. The tugboat had earlier travelled to South Africa for repairs before the ill-fated journey.
In a statement issued Monday by Dr. Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the Federal Government confirmed that South African transportation authorities reported the maritime incident.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, said the South African Ministry of Transportation verified that 12 people had been rescued and one fatality recorded, while five others remain unaccounted for.
She further disclosed that the South African Maritime Safety Authority informed Nigerian officials that the rescued crew members are being transported to Port Elizabeth. Officials from the Nigeria High Commission are en route to receive the survivors.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing as authorities continue efforts to locate the five missing persons.
