Latest news with #boataccident
Associated Press
2 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Four people drown when a boat carrying 14 capsizes in the Danube Delta in Romania
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Four people drowned when a boat carrying 14 capsized in the Danube Delta in Romania on Monday, the state news agency Agerpres reported. There was no word as to what had caused the accident on the Sulina branch of the river's delta, in Tulcea County near the Black Sea. Ten survivors were later taken to a county hospital, according to Agerpres, which cited the area's Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. The report said six of the passengers were wearing life jackets and were able to reach the shore on their own. The names and nationalities of the casualties have not been disclosed. Search operations were suspended after all 14 who were onboard had been accounted for, authorities said, Agerpres said.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Associated Press
Boat capsizes in Nigeria's Niger state and at least 25 people feared dead, authorities say
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A boat transporting passengers to a market in north-central Nigeria capsized, killing at least 25 people, authorities said Sunday. The accident happened Saturday near Gumu village in the Shiroro area of Niger state, Ibrahim Hussaini, an official with the National Emergency Management Agency, told The Associated Press. Hussaini said search and rescue efforts were underway, but are limited because armed gangs mostly control the area. He added that the number of casualties may rise. 'Very few people can go to the scene because of banditry in that area,' he told the AP. Armed groups, commonly referred to as bandits, have stepped up attacks in recent months in the north-central region, complicating rescue efforts. The accident is the latest in a series of deadly boat accidents on Nigerian waterways, where accidents are common in remote communities, especially during the rainy season, due to overloaded and poorly maintained vessels. In September last year, a boat carrying mostly farmers capsized on a river in the northwestern state of Zamfara, drowning at least 40 people. At least 326 people died in boat accidents in Nigeria in 2024, according to a count by TheCable, a local media outlet. Analysts say many boats operate without life jackets and blame weak enforcement by regulatory authorities.
Reuters
3 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Thirteen dead, dozens missing in Nigeria boat accident
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, July 27 (Reuters) - Thirteen people were confirmed dead with dozens more missing after a boat ferrying around 100 passengers capsized on Saturday in Niger state in north-central Nigeria as they headed to market, authorities said on Sunday. Twenty-six people, mostly women and children, were rescued from the wooden boat, said Yusuf Lemu, an official of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency. Local official Isiyaku Akilu said the boat driver, who was among those rescued, could not confirm the number of passengers on the boat. "The exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, but from all indications, it appears to be due to overloading," said Akilu. Adamu Ahmad, a member of the boat drivers' union, confirmed that the boat was overloaded. He said it was a large wooden boat and efforts are being made to recover more bodies. Niger State is also home to Nigeria's three major hydroelectric dams, and boat accidents have become a frequent occurrence. Saturday's accident happened nine months after a boat carrying mostly women and children returning from a religious festival capsized and killed at least 60 people. Rescue efforts were momentarily paused on Sunday to allow the custodian of the river to perform rituals that would ensure a "hitch-free rescue mission", said Akilu.
Khaleej Times
23-07-2025
- Climate
- Khaleej Times
UAE expresses solidarity with Vietnam over boat tragedy in Ha Long Bay
The UAE has expressed its solidarity with Vietnam over the deaths and injuries of dozens of passengers on a boat that sank in Ha Long Bay due to bad weather conditions. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the government of Vietnam, and the friendly people of Vietnam, wishing a speedy recovery to all the injured. Last week, a tourist boat ferrying families capsized in one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, Ha Long bay. The "Wonder Sea" vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized because of sudden heavy rain, the VNExpress news site said. Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, it said. Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, with millions of people visiting its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands each year. Last year, 30 vessels sank at boat lock areas in coastal Quang Ninh province along Ha Long Bay after Typhoon Yagi brought strong wind and waves.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Boy survives Vietnam tourist boat sinking that killed dozens by sheltering in air pocket
A boy survived the sinking of a tourist boat in Vietnam which killed dozens of people by sheltering in an air pocket of the overturned vessel, it has emerged. The 10-year-old had been traveling with his family in Vietnam's famed Ha Long Bay when the vessel they were sailing on became caught in a sudden storm. Trapped in the boat as it capsized, the boy found refuge in an underwater air pocket, where he stayed and waited for help. He was eventually found by rescue teams relatively unharmed, although he was suffering from mental distress. He was warmed up and transferred to a nearby hospital, local outlet VietnamNet reported. 'Everything happened so fast,' the boy said. 'I tried to get out, and then the soldiers rescued me.' Search and rescue efforts are continuing for missing passengers and crew after sightseeing ship the Wonder Sea capsized in a squall on Saturday but have been hampered by bad weather. At least 35 people are confirmed dead from the sinking, state media reported, revising down an earlier toll but warning that it could still rise further. Vietnam News Agency said there were 53 passengers and crew on board and 10 people had been rescued. Four people remain missing. Another survivor, a 36-year-old Vietnamese man, described escaping the overturned boat by dumping his life jacket and swimming through an underwater window. Fire extinguisher salesman Dang Anh Tuan described the moment the vessel suddenly capsized during bad weather, leaving little time for those on board to react. 'It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously, tables and chairs were jostled around and seconds later the boat overturned,' Tuan told the Associated Press. He said that the boat quickly filled with water and he lost all orientation. 'I tried to breathe. But more water came in. I took a deep breath, got rid of my life vest and dove down. I saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out, escaping the boat, and then I climbed on the overturned boat to look for help,' he said. Tuan, along with several others who had been on board, clung onto the overturned boat and waited for another two hours in pouring rain until emergency crews arrived. He'd been holidaying in Vietnam's popular tourist bay with 11 university friends. Only three of their group survived. VN Express reported that the Wonder Sea was caught in a storm around 1.30 p.m. local time (2.30 a.m. ET), which caused it to capsize. Most of the passengers were from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and traveling as families, according to VN Express, which reported the eldest passenger as 53 years old and the youngest as just 3. Over 20 children were on board, VNExpress said. The capsize reportedly happened near the Dau Go Cave – one of the largest in the bay. Halong Bay is a popular tourist hotspot and a UNESCO world heritage site comprising about 1,600 limestone islands and islets. CNN's Eve Brennan, Max Saltman and TuAnh Dam contributed reporting.
