Not less than 35 persons, mainly women and children, including a pastor of the Christ Life Gospel church in Oron? Akwa Ibom State, lost their lives sunday evening in a boat mishap which occurred on the Atlantic ocean as they approaching Oron from Calabar in Cross River State.
The accident occurred when a commercial speed boat in which they were travelling capsized on the high sea killing all the passengers on board.
A local fisherman who was in the team of rescuers, told LEADERSHIP that the boat might have ran into high tide before it capsized.
Search and recover efforts were still on as at the time of filing this report to retrieve the bodies of the drowned passengers from the sea.
Our correspondents who visited Oron gathered that the the casualty figure was so high because most of them could not swim while the boat operator and his assistant swam ashore, leaving the passengers to their fate.
It was also gathered that the attempt to rescue the victims immediately the incident occurred was abortive as they had already been swept far into the sea by high tide.
However, four recovered bodies of some of the victims were brought to Oron beach for proper identification before they were taken to Oron General Hospital mortuary.
A source who gave his name as Reverend Ita? Edem Okon? said one of the deceased,? Pastor? Henshaw Umoh? of the Christ? Life Gospel? Church in Oron? was coming? to participate in a special thanksgiving service before he met his untimely death.
The body of pastor Henshaw was among the first that were brought to the beach.
Officials of the commercial speed boat association in Oron who spoke to our correspondent confirmed the accident and expressed sympathy with the families of the deceased.