One dead, five missing as Nigerian tugboat sinks in South Africa

South African authorities have rescued 12 crew members froma Nigerian tugboat that sank off the country’s coast on Saturday night. The tugboat, called LEO, was said to have travelled to SouthAfrica for repairs. However, on its return voyage to Lagos, it ran aground about18 nautical miles offshore in stormy waters between Cape Town and Durban. The boat reportedly had 18 people on board. One person wasconfirmed dead and five others are still missing. In a statement on Monday, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, ministerof state for foreign affairs, said the South African Ministry of Transportationhad formally notified Nigerian authorities of the incident. The minister said rescue operations were ongoing for thefive missing crew members. “The South Africa Ministry of Transportation informed us ofthis development,” the statement reads. “The South African Maritime Safety Authority has alsoinformed that survivors are presently being conveyed to Port Elizabeth, whereofficials from the Nigeria High Commission are on their way to receive them.Further details will be available as they unfold.”

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