166 feared dead in Akwa Ibom boat mishap

A boat traveling from Oron in Akwa Ibom state to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, yesterday, capsized at the Calabar waterways with no fewer than 166 passengers feared dead. Eyewitnesses said the passengers were traveling in "a giant sized wooden boat" when it capsized at 40 nautical miles along the coast of Calabar off Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Investigation shows that 45 corpses of some of the victims have been deposited at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital mortuary. Mr David Akate, assistant director of Cross River Emergency Agency confirmed the incident. A marine transporter at the Calabar inland waterways, Mr. Ikechukwu Egwu, also confirmed the incident. He said the passengers of the boat were mostly Igbo traders who were heading for Gabon, He said they headed to Oron to board the wooden boat, because it was cheap. - Vanguard