The search-and-rescue personnel of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, have rescued three crew members and recovered one body.
The incident occurred about 65 miles from shore – about 10 nautical miles south west of the Bonga FPSO, where two vessels; MT Elixir and MT Tank collided midstream.
Divers and other rescue personnel who were at the location of the incident discovered that eight crew members of MT Tank have been trapped. Preliminary reports showed that the incident occurred at about 12 midnight on Monday 19th October 2015 and that MT Tank got broken in the process and got taken in by water.
The acting Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro, has directed for a thorough investigation into the incident to ascertain the remote and immediate causes.
He equally expressed sadness over the loss of life in the incident, urging crew members to exercise more caution in navigation especially around terminals.
The three rescued crew members were at press time receiving treatment at Twins Clinic in Warri, Delta State at the behest of NIMASA while the body of the deceased has been deposited at the mortuary.
Rescue operation was still ongoing for the remaining eight crew members at the time we were going to press.
