Three children have died after a commercial boat ferrying passengers from Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State capsized near Ikebiri-1 community, along one of the state’s busy creeks.

The wooden boat, which was heading to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, reportedly ran into trouble in the dead of night as it navigated the narrow waterways used daily by traders, workers and schoolchildren. Survivors and local residents said the vessel began taking in water mid-journey before overturning, throwing passengers and their belongings into the creek.

Local divers from Ikebiri-1 were the first responders, launching an immediate search-and-rescue effort using canoes and basic diving gear. They later recovered the bodies of three children, two boys and one girl, believed to be between six and 15 years old. The remains were transported back to Azuzuama, where grieving relatives and community members gathered along the waterfront.

A former chairman of the Maritime Workers Union in Bayelsa State, Ipigansi Ogoniba, confirmed the incident and said union divers from Yenagoa had been dispatched to support the operation and compile a formal report. He explained that the union was still trying to establish the exact number of passengers on board, as the ill-fated boat did not originate from the capital’s main jetties, where manifests are more strictly monitored.

Preliminary accounts from the scene suggest that overloading and mechanical failure may have contributed to the tragedy. Passengers reported that the boat was heavily laden with people and goods, while a pumping machine installed to evacuate water from the hull allegedly failed midstream, leaving the crew unable to keep the vessel afloat.

Residents of Southern Ijaw and other riverine communities in Bayelsa say the accident highlights long-standing concerns over safety standards on the state’s waterways. Many commercial boats operate without life jackets for all passengers, proper lighting for night travel or regular maintenance checks, despite repeated appeals from local leaders and transport unions.

Community members in Azuzuama and Ikebiri-1 have called on the state government and maritime authorities to enforce stricter regulations on passenger limits, safety equipment and night-time movements, warning that without urgent action, similar tragedies will continue to claim lives on the creeks that serve as the region’s main transport routes.