Twenty-seven people were rescued in the boat mishap, which occurred at Malabo, 40 nautical miles off the Calabar water ways on March 15, Vanguard has learnt.
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Mr. Olayemi Abass, Coordinator of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, said, yesterday, in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, that the survivors were rescued by Adax Oil, which has an oil rig in the area.
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He said: "Some of the survivors were taken to Oron and two brought to Calabar. Those in Calabar are receiving treatment at Bakorm Medical Centre, Calabar."
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At Bakorm Medical Centre, one of the survivors, who gave his name as Kieve Sani, a Togolese, said the boat started its ill-fated trip at 9am on Friday and sank at 3pm, adding that they were on the sea until 3 pm on Sunday, before help came their way.
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He said there were 128 passengers and five crew members on board.
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He said: "I was in Nigeria for one month and assisted the crew members who became my friends in recording the names of the passengers in French and answering phone calls for them when somebody called from Gabon. So I know the number of passengers that stared the trip that Friday morning."
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Sani, who said he was being taken to Gabon from Togo by a 'master' whom he paid 500 cfa after selling his car, attributed the boat mishap to engine failure, which, he said, caused the boat to become stationery. It subsequently took in water and sank after a while.
They should always be safe at first before any other thing. Rescuing that much is a big blessing