Twelve Nigerians have been rescued after a tug boat, LEO, sank in South African waters late Saturday night, with one person confirmed dead and five others still missing.
The vessel, which had 18 persons on board, reportedly ran aground about 18 nautical miles offshore in stormy conditions between Cape Town and Durban while returning to Lagos after undergoing repairs in South Africa.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed on Monday that South African authorities confirmed the development to the Nigerian government.
According to her, the South African Ministry of Transportation informed the ministry that 12 persons were successfully rescued, while one fatality has been recorded. She added that search operations are ongoing to locate the remaining five missing crew members.
“The South African Ministry of Transportation informed us of this development,” the minister said.
She further stated that the South African Maritime Safety Authority had conveyed that the rescued survivors were being transported to Port Elizabeth, where officials of the Nigerian High Commission were en route to receive them.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu assured that the Nigerian government is closely monitoring the situation and would provide further updates as more details emerge.