The Search and Rescue personnel of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have rescued three crew members near Warri in Delta, as two vessels – MT Elixir and MT Tank – collided midstream.

This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Lagos by the Head of Public Relations of NIMASA, Hajia Lami Tumaka.

It said that one body was recovered from the incident which occurred about 65 miles from shore, just 10 Nautical miles South West of the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) near Warri.

“Divers and other rescue personnel are still at the site of the incident where eight crew members of MT Tank appear to have been trapped.

“Preliminary reports show that the incident occurred at about 12 midnight on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015 and that MT Tank got broken in the process and taken in by water.”

It said the Acting Director-General of NIMASA, Mr. Haruna Jauro, had directed comprehensive rescue operation and ordered a thorough investigation into the incident to ascertain the remote and immediate causes.

According to the statement, Jauro expressed sadness over the loss of life occasioned by the incident and urged the crew members to exercise more caution in navigation especially around terminals.

The statement explained that the three rescued crew members were receiving treatment at Twins Clinic, Warri, while the body of the deceased had been deposited in the mortuary.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes the statement as saying that “rescue operations are still ongoing for the remaining eight crew members.” (NAN)

•Photo shows vessel.

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