The sailor of the boat that crashed at Umunankwo, Ogbaru local governance area of Anambra State during the weekend and caused the deaths of more than 30 people has claimed that the deceased female traders forced him to embark on the trip as they were desperate to dispose their crops which harvested prematurely due to this year's flood that submerged their farms before the maturity of the planted crops.

Amaugo stated that his boat was carrying 48 people during a chat with reporters.

“I did not want to embark on that trip, but the people, mostly women, who were desperate to go to Nkwo Ogbakuba market to sell premature crops harvested from flooded farms, begged me to ferry them to the market.

The market women besieged my house and persuaded me to sail them to Ogbakuba. Having taken off, the wave became too severe and all my attempts to control it failed. The water waves knocked the boat against the pillars of Umunnakwo/Ossomala bridge against all efforts I made to stabilize it.

Suddenly, the boat capsized. It was terrible seeing people struggle for life.”

One Mr. Bernard Achonu, Imo State, who lives in Mputu said that he lost his wife, and three children, aged between two and six years. He said his family had joined the boat to get to safety after the flood submerged most of the houses in Ogbaru, regretting that their attempt to get to safety turned to be a misadventure.

Sebastian Umeorji, another person who claimed he was still looking for his wife's body, was also sobbing uncontrollably.

Hmmmmm, tragic