An official in Leer County, Unity State, has blamed the
weekend water barge accident on overloading.
On Saturday, at least six people died after the barge
capsized near Adok port.
It was carrying 45 passengers, loaded with 360 barrels of
fuel and 2000 bags of cement, which it was not supposed to carry, according to
the Adok Payam administrator.
Initially, the boat was supposed to carry only 25
passengers.
James Bichiok Gatluak, the Payam administrator in Adok,
attributed the accident to overloading.
“The boat capsized because it was overloaded,” Bichiok told
Leer FM on Monday.
The YAAB business company, which has been in operation for
years, owned the boat. But the boat which capsized set sail for the first time
in February 2024.
Meanwhile, Gatwech Biel, the coxswain, also confirmed that
the barge was indeed overloaded.
He said, “What caused this accident was because the power of the boat was much heavier than the power of the engine. The barge was not able to turn because it was very heavy."