By Cletus Asuquo
Eight passengers are feared drowned after two speed boats collided in the Ikang axis of Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The incident reportedly occurred while one of the boats, carrying 13 Nigerian passengers, was travelling from Ikang towards the Republic of Cameroon through Cameroonian territorial waters around the Tikoro area.
The Cross River State Police Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Police Public Relations Officer, Eitokpah Sunday Akata.
According to the statement, the boat collided with another W23 speed boat fitted with a double Yamaha engine.
“Following the collision, eight passengers were feared drowned, while five passengers were rescued alive with the assistance of local fishermen in Cameroon,” the statement said.
The police added that the bodies of those feared drowned were subsequently brought to Simon Beach, Ikang, in Bakassi Local Government Area.
The Command said it had directed the Marine Police, Ikang, to ensure that the recovered bodies were properly identified by their respective families before being deposited at the morgue.
It added that it was liaising with relevant authorities and affected families as efforts continued to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The Police Command will provide further information as soon as verified details become available,” the statement added.
