By Chol Makol Riak
Jonglei state authorities have launched an investigation into the incident that led to the death of two children who got drown in River Nile. The siblings aged 3 and 5 respectively were travelling on a commercial boat from Juba to Malakal. The boat capsized along the Nile on Wednesday morning.
Maj. Daniel Tuor, Jonglei state police spokesman in a phone interview with No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper said investigation was on process and the details on what led to capsizing of the passengers’ boat are yet to be made public, the boat was carrying 34 passengers along with other commodities to Upper Nile state.
“The boat sailor and the owner of the boat are under police custody and investigations are underway, the boat was carrying 34 passengers with other commodities but all the other 32 passengers were recued and unfortunately the other two children by name Machar Peter 5 and Nyankuer Peter 3-year-old got drown” the others will be made public as soon as the investigation are done,” Majok said.
John Samuel Manyuon, Jonglei state minister for information said that the boat capsized in between Jemeza and Sudan Safari adding that the boat was carrying shipment with 14 passengers.
“The boat was carrying 14 passengers with shipment for business, it was coming from Juba proceeding to Malakal of Upper Nile until it reaches a certain junction between Jemeza and Sudan Safari while trying to make turning point at that junction the boat hit the ground and got capsize, the two children who got perished during the incident where with their mother and two other siblings” Manyuon told this paper yesterday.
“The two children who got perished one is a girl of 5 years old and other one is 3 years old, in the boat, they were travelling with their mother to Malakal with their two other siblings, the mother of the two deceased survived with her other two children. Other passengers who were in the boat all survived the accident” Manyuon added.
Manyuon sent his heartfelt condolence to the relatives of the deceased adding that it is a great lost to the people of South Sudan and the family in particular He humbled.
“You know this tragic is a big lost to the people of South Sudan and the family in particular, the people of Jonglei state are sending our heartfelt condolence to the family of the victims and the entire people of Malakal” he added.
Manyuon stated that the ruminants the two deceased are not yet found as of Thursday this week.
Meanwhile, Chuol Achiek, the chairperson of Boat union in Jonglei state called on the Boat drivers to be vigilant whenever they are moving in the Nile.
“It is too bad to lose lives like this but God is great, he has saved the lives of other passengers. We are also calling on the boat drivers and the travelers or traders to avoid using boats that are carry shipments; they should use road transport because sometimes it maybe the overload of the boat led to some cases of accident. We are also urging boat drives to tell the traders to use road transport” Achiek said.
“Boats are still moving despite Wednesday’s incident that had happened adding that accidents are always there and travelling cannot be stopped” Achiek said.
“Four passengers return to juba after the incident while others have reach Jonglei state capital, Bor yesterday (Wednesday)” he said.
Meanwhile Samuel Gop an eyewitness who was at the scene of the incident said the drown of the boat was caused by failure of the boat engine which makes the boat to turn, he assorted.
“What happen to the boat is that one engine of the boat which makes it turn at the any corner failed to worked, and the boat reaches the turning point then the driver tried to turn around at that corner but due to the failure of the engine it had make it hard to turn until it hits the ground which led the boat to capsize” Gop said.
“The two children who drown where sleeping and their mother tried to rescue the children but until manage to recue one child and the boat drive save the other one child” he explained.