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