The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, has launched a full investigation into the collision involving container vessel, MV Maersk Valparaiso, and oil tanker, MT Lady Martina, at the Bonny Anchorage in Rivers State.
The incident, which occurred on May twentieth, has been classified by the Bureau as a very serious marine casualty.
According to the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the NSIB, Mrs. Funke Adebayo-Arowojobe, investigators were immediately deployed to Onne and Bonny to preserve evidence and begin preliminary findings.
The investigative team has already boarded both vessels, interviewed the captains and crew members, and secured operational and navigational records linked to the collision.
The Bureau also confirmed that critical voyage and navigation data from MV Maersk Valparaiso have been successfully downloaded for forensic analysis as part of efforts to determine what led to the incident.
NSIB says it has informed Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau in line with international maritime regulations and is also working with both local and international stakeholders on the investigation.
The Bureau is urging the public and maritime operators to avoid speculation, stressing that investigations are still ongoing and no conclusions have been reached at this stage.
NSIB adds that any urgent safety concerns discovered during the probe will attract immediate recommendations aimed at preventing future marine accidents, while the final report will be released at the end of the investigation.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen