No fewer than 12 persons have been rescued after a Nigerian tugboat, LEO, sank off the coast of South Africa late Saturday night.
The vessel, which had 18 persons on board, was reportedly in South Africa for repairs.
It ran aground about 18 nautical miles offshore in stormy waters between Cape Town and Durban while returning to Lagos.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, confirmed on Monday that one person had been declared dead.
In a statement issued by her media aide, Magnus Eze, the minister said search and rescue operations were ongoing.
According to her, South Africa’s Ministry of Transportation notified Nigerian authorities of the incident.
She added that the South African Maritime Safety Authority had informed the Nigerian government that the rescued crew members were being transported to Port Elizabeth.
Officials of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa were said to be on their way to receive the survivors.
