The Edo State Police Command has confirmed that one person died, while four others were injured when in a boat mishap that occurred in Gelegele, the Ovia South West Local Government of the state on Thursday.
It was gathered that the commercial boat hit stationary barges which led to the accident.
TheHintsNews gathered that the boat was said to have drifted away from its route and collided with the barges.
The boat conveying mainly women and children was said to have run out of fuel after a passenger alighted in one of the settlements in the riverine communities.
Some residents claimed that no fewer than seven persons died in the accident.
The Vice Chairman of the Council, Blessing Perewari, who visited the scene of the incident, sympathised with the families of the victims and said the dead had been deposited at the mortuary.
He said: “From what I heard, about 28 adults, two pregnant women and three babies were involved. When they got to the Gelegele waterside, there were oil barges that were parked in parallel.
“The barges were parked in a way that obstructed the waterway. So, this particular boat carrying 28 persons, after dropping two passengers, tried to restart the boat but the engine failed to respond.
“Because of the high current of the river, it pushed the boat into the barges and it torpedoed under the barges making it difficult for the victims to come out. Some of them that could swim managed to escape while others were trapped under the barges.
“With the help of the Marine Police and other community members, we were able to rescue 18 of the passengers and seven died.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the accident, saying that only one person died in the mishap.
“Marine police confirmed that one person died and four others were injured while others were rescued unhurt,”