Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Three bodies were on Monday recovered on Benin River in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
A boat carrying 22 passengers including policemen and community members had capsized at Ureju community while returning from Ebrohimi to Koko last Saturday after the governorship and House of Assembly elections.
On Sunday, 18 people were rescued, according to the state Commissioner of Police, Adeyinka Adeleke, who added that four persons were still missing.
But divers who had since initiated a search for the missing passengers recovered the three bodies on Monday as they were floating on the river bank.
Chairman of Warri North Local Government Area, Mr. Aduge Okorodudu, who confirmed the recovery of the bodies, said six of the victims who survived the incident were receiving treatment at Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, and in other hospitals in Koko and Sapele, adding that they were in stable condition.
He clarified that only two policemen were on board when the accident took place as against the three being reported in the media.
“Some of the victims hospitalised are in Koko and Oghara. Warri North local and the state governments are taking care of them.
“Six of them are currently receiving treatment but one of them was discharged yesterday (Sunday) but would be going to the hospital for further treatment.
“Two of the bodies were deposited in the mortuary while the family of one said they don’t keep their bodies and so he would be buried today (Monday). They were three males. By the grace of God, the families of those in the mortuary would bury them by this weekend.
“Policemen were not among them. There were two policemen on the boat and not three, and they are all safe. Three persons were missing and those are the corpses that we have recovered this morning (Monday),” Okorodudu said.