World Bank officials perish in Ekiti Dam.

– Four World Bank officials died when the boat they
were travelling in capsized
– Accident happened in a local river in Ekiti state,
Southwest Nigeria
– Passengers were said to be surveyors by profession
The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that four World
Bank officials were reported to have drowned at Egbe
Dam in Egbe Ekiti, Gbonyin local government area of
Ekiti state.
Egbe Dam one of the six dams in Ekiti and it is the
biggest of them all.
Folasade Akinrinmola, the chairman of Gbonyin LGA
and Ekiti police command confirmed the mishap to
newsmen on Thursday, August 25.
The council chairman stated that the accident
happened in the late hours of Wednesday, August 24,
involving a group of seven contractors working with the
World Bank on an evaluation work on the dam.
Akinrinmola explained that the men began work in the
night of Tuesday, August 23 from one part of the dam
and that the mishap occurred when they moved to the
other part on Wednesday, August 24.
The boss stated that the traditional ruler of Egbe
community informed her of the boat accident.
Akinrinmola narrated saying: “We immediately mobilised
a rescue team and an ambulance, and in the process,
those wearing life jackets were rescued.
“The rescued people were the ones who told us that
others were in the water. “The bodies of those that had
drowned were later retrieved by the local fishermen.
“One of the dead victims was said to be the son of the
leader of the team who providentially escaped unhurt.
“We believe that they came to Ekiti based on some of the
proposals we had written on the dam on how it can be
put to use. We believe that the World Bank has started
work on the dam based on their findings.”
The Gbonyin LGA chairman described the boat mishap
as tragic and unfortunate, adding that the remains of
the deceased had since been taken to the mortuary in
Ode-Ekiti, the secretariat of Gbonyin LGA.
Alberto Adeyemi, the police public relations officer
(PPRO) of the Ekiti state police command, likewise
informed journalists of the incident, saying: “It is true
that the boat transporting the team capsized, four of them
died while three survived.”