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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 11 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's emergency department and police confirmed on the 10th that a boat accident in Bayelsa State in the south of the country on the 7th killed at least 20 people. The ship sank due to an engine explosion, but the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.

AFP quoted Adebiyi Razak, an official of the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency, on the 10th as saying that the shipwreck occurred in the early morning of the 7th. The accident ship was a ferry carrying more than 100 market vendors. Rescuers have found the bodies of 11 victims and the search is still ongoing.

On March 12, 2014, rescue workers conducted search and rescue operations at the scene of a ferry capsizing accident near Lagos, Nigeria. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Zhang Weiyi)

The relevant departments have not yet officially announced the cause of the accident. The Nigerian Shipping Administration said in a statement that the accident was caused by the ship's "engine failure causing an explosion", and the specific cause of the explosion has yet to be determined.

The Associated Press previously quoted the head of the Bayelsa State Maritime Workers Union as saying that the explosion caused the ship to catch fire and then sink, causing casualties to passengers. Since there is no telephone network in the area where the incident occurred, emergency rescue personnel were unable to respond quickly.

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the injured on social media, while calling on relevant parties to strictly observe safety regulations.

In Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta, boat travel is quite common. According to Reuters, there were several boat accidents in Nigeria last year, resulting in at least 200 deaths. (Qiao Ying)