After the Nigerian tugboat LEO sank in South African waters on Saturday night, a Nigerian national has been officially declared deceased.

According to reports, the ship, carrying eighteen passengers, went down after running aground in inclement weather. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, and while 12 crew members were saved, five more are still unaccounted for.

The incident was revealed by the Federal Government in a statement sent to Dr. Magnus Eze, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media.

The statement claims that after the tugboat ran into problems about eighteen nautical miles off the coast between Cape Town and Durban, South African transport authorities notified Nigerian officials. After completing repairs in South Africa, the ship reportedly went aground during a storm while en way to Lagos.

Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said that five people are still missing and that one death has been reported.

She further revealed that survivors are being transported to Port Elizabeth, where officials of the Nigerian High Commission are expected to receive them and provide necessary support.

The Federal Government stated that while attempts to find the missing crew members escalate, it is keeping regular communication with South African authorities. Although extreme weather has been identified as a contributing factor, maritime officials have not yet ascertained the complete circumstances surrounding the tragedy.