At least five people have been confirmed dead, and 14 others remain missing after a boat capsized in Nigeria's Delta State on Friday.

A tragic boat accident in Nigeria's southern Delta State has resulted in the deaths of at least five people, with another 14 still missing after a speedboat collided with another and capsized.

Six people survived the incident on Friday, but hopes for the remaining 14 are fading. An official confirmed to Anadolu on Tuesday that search and rescue operations are ongoing to find those still missing. Ikechukwu Ikenna, an eyewitness, reported seeing eight bodies by Monday night.

However, Bright Edafe, spokesperson for the Delta State police command, clarified to Anadolu on Tuesday that five people have been confirmed dead, and that search efforts continue to locate the missing individuals.

The accident occurred in the remote Gbaramatu Kingdom, within the Warri South-West district, and was initially reported by Nigeria's private television channel, TVC, on Friday. According to Edafe, six survivors from the group of 20 missing people are receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.

The tragedy involved a collision between two speedboats carrying family members returning from a burial ceremony. The force of the impact caused the boats to capsize, throwing passengers into the water. Most of the passengers were not wearing life jackets at the time.

In response, Manzo Ezekiel, the spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, declined to comment on the incident. However, Chris Ogboh, an official from the Delta State emergency agency, stressed that search and rescue operations are still actively underway. While divers have yet to locate the missing persons, emergency responders continue to work diligently in the effort to find those unaccounted for.