South African authorities have rescued 12 crew members from a Nigerian tugboat that sank off the country’s coast late Saturday, with one fatality confirmed and five others still missing.
The vessel, identified as LEO, reportedly had 18 people on board.
It had travelled to South Africa for repairs and was said to have run aground about 18 nautical miles offshore in rough weather between Cape Town and Durban while returning to Lagos.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed on Monday that South African authorities had formally notified the Nigerian government of the incident.
In a statement issued in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, the minister confirmed that one crew member had died, while search and rescue operations were ongoing for the five missing persons.
“The South Africa Ministry of Transportation informed us of this development.
“The South African Maritime Safety Authority has also informed that survivors are presently being conveyed to Port Elizabeth, where officials from the Nigeria High Commission are on their way to receive them,” the statement quoted the minister as saying.
Rescue and recovery efforts are continuing, with further updates expected as operations progress.