A Nigerian national has been confirmed dead after a tugboat, identified as LEO, sank in South African waters on Saturday night.
The vessel reportedly ran aground amid rough weather conditions while carrying 18 crew members. Authorities said 12 people were rescued, five remain missing, and search and rescue operations are ongoing.
The Federal Government confirmed the incident in a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Magnus Eze.
According to the statement, South African transport authorities alerted Nigerian officials after the tugboat encountered difficulties about 18 nautical miles off the coast between Cape Town and Durban. The vessel was en route to Lagos after completing repairs in South Africa when it ran aground during a storm.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, confirmed that one fatality has been recorded while five crew members are still unaccounted for.
She added that the rescued crew members are being transported to Port Elizabeth, where officials of the Nigerian High Commission are expected to receive them and provide support.
The Federal Government said it is in close contact with South African authorities as efforts continue to locate the missing persons. Maritime officials have yet to determine the full cause of the accident, though severe weather has been cited as a likely factor.
