Boat crash: Students corpses recovered, NIWA arrests operators

The corpses of three medical students who went missing when the boat conveying them to a destination crashed in the Calabar area of Cross River State have been recovered.

The corpses consist of two male and female students.

The state Commissioner of Police, Gyogon Grimah, confirmed the development on Monday, adding that “The three corpses of the missing students have been recovered. The police have been working day and night to rescue the missing students.”

Grimah also commended people in the community for their efforts in recovering the corpses of the students and the rescue of 11 victims of the tragedy.

Meanwhile, the National Inland Waterways Authority, on Monday, confirmed the arrest of the operators of the boat that crashed in Calabar while conveying some medical students to a destination in the state on Saturday.

The General Manager, Corporate Communication, NIWA, Jibril Darda’u, in a statement, said preliminary investigations revealed that the crash was caused by overloading, engine malfunctioning, rainy weather, and heavy turbulence.

The statement read in part, “NIWA has since arrested the operators and sealed the jetty as the boat is not duly registered with NIWA, and the jetty is also not approved by NIWA. The 11 rescued victims were taken to hospital and they are now okay and discharged.

“We commiserate with the families, friends, loved ones, and the Medical Students Association for the loss of the three students. We pray to God Almighty to grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and may the gentle souls of the departed rest in peace.

“We feel very sad to announce that NIWA’s search and rescue team recovered the three missing corpses of the medical students that were involved in the boat mishap on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Calabar waterways.”