South African authorities have confirmed the rescue of 12 crew members from a Nigerian tugboat that sank off the country’s coast late Saturday night. One crew member was confirmed dead, while five others are still missing.
The vessel, identified as LEO, reportedly had 18 people on board. It was said to have travelled to South Africa for repairs and was en route to Lagos when it ran aground in rough seas about 18 nautical miles offshore, between Cape Town and Durban.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed on Monday that the South African Ministry of Transportation had formally notified Nigerian authorities about the incident.
In a statement issued in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, the minister confirmed the casualty and said search and rescue operations were ongoing for the five missing crew members.
According to her, the South African Maritime Safety Authority informed that the rescued crew members were being transported to Port Elizabeth, where officials of the Nigerian High Commission were heading to receive them.
Rescue and recovery efforts are continuing, with more updates expected.