A boat accident in Upper Nile State’s Melut County has killed at least three passengers and injured 11 others, officials and eyewitnesses said Wednesday, as authorities arrested the vessel’s captain.
The incident occurred Tuesday evening when a boat ferrying returnees from the border town of Renk to the state capital, Malakal, stopped at a docking site in Melut County.
Deng Awer, head of the county revenue commission, told Radio Tamazuj that the accident happened after cargo loaded on the boat’s roof collapsed onto passengers inside.
“The incident occurred at around 5 p.m. when the roofing, which was loaded with sacks of sorghum, collapsed on people inside the boat shortly after it docked while preparing to proceed to Malakal,” Awer said. “As a result, three people died and about 11 others were injured.”
He said authorities allowed the boat to continue its journey to Malakal on Wednesday evening, while the captain was detained in Melut to assist with investigations.
Upper Nile State Information Minister Peter Ngwojo gave a similar account. He said the accident occurred on Tuesday evening as the boat was traveling from Renk to Malakal and was transporting returnees and refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan, under the facilitation of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Ngwojo said the vessel was severely overloaded and safety regulations were not followed.
“The boat was carrying passengers, food items and cement together, with more than 500 people on board,” he said. “This led to a collapse inside the driver’s cabin onto passengers.” He said four people, all women including one who was pregnant, were killed, and 11 others were injured.
The injured were taken to Melut Civil Hospital for treatment, officials said.
Ngwojo expressed condolences to the families of the victims and urged boat operators to adhere strictly to safety rules. “The safety of passengers is paramount,” he said, describing the victims as vulnerable returnees fleeing violence in Sudan.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic following the collapse.
Dino Noon, a returnee on the boat, told Radio Tamazuj that sacks of sorghum had been loaded on the roof and fell after the vessel docked. “Some people climbed onto the roofing, which then collapsed, killing three people and injuring 11 others,” he said, adding that authorities later removed the cargo and allowed the journey to continue.
Another returnee, Garang Garang Malong, called for a thorough investigation. “Those who died were left in Melut for burial,” he said, adding that two of the injured remained behind for treatment while others with minor injuries continued the trip.
“The boat was hired for returnees. How did all these loads get there? We believe there was negligence.”