Twelve crew members have been rescued from a Nigerian tugboat that sank in South African waters on Saturday night, as confirmed by local authorities. Unfortunately, one body has already been recovered, while five other crew members remain unaccounted for.
The tugboat, named LEO, was transporting a total of 18 individuals when it encountered rough seas and sank approximately 18 nautical miles offshore between Cape Town and Durban. It was returning to Lagos after undergoing repairs in South Africa.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, revealed this incident on Monday, referring to the details provided by South African authorities.
She noted that the South African Maritime Safety Authority has confirmed that the rescued crew members are currently being taken to Port Elizabeth where officials from the Nigerian High Commission are on their way to assist them.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu added, "The South African Ministry of Transportation has notified us about this situation, and search and rescue operations are still underway."
Authorities are actively searching the region for the five missing crew members while investigations regarding the cause of the incident continue.
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