One officer has been declared missing and 20 crew members rescued following an inferno that engulfed a vessel belonging to the Nigerian Navy on Monday night along the Calabar channel.

The Base Operations Officer, Lt.-Cdr Kelechi Ahunaya, disclosed this in a statement made available in Calabar on Tuesday.

Giving more details about the incident, he said the vessel, a Motor Vessel (MV) Chimba Express had on board 21 persons comprising 14 Nigerians and seven Cameroonians, still has one person missing as at the time of this report.

In his words, “The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OSE, while on routine patrol, responded to a distress call at about 1300 hours from the vessel, which was en route from Gabon to Calabar with scrap materials and other logistics.

“On arrival, thick smoke was observed emanating from the vessel, prompting immediate rescue operations.

“Crew members who had abandoned ship, as well as those stranded on deck, were rescued using life buoys. Twenty crew members were successfully rescued and administered first aid.

“The Chief Engineer, who reportedly jumped overboard due to fear of an explosion, remains missing, and a search and rescue operation is ongoing,” he stated.

The rescue operation, he added had the support of personnel from Forward Operating Base, IBAKA, Naval Security Station 030 Houseboat, and local fishermen supported the operation.

“NNS OSE also deployed portable pumps to combat the fire, which affected the midship and aft sections of the vessel,” he added.

He assured the public of the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to the safety of seafarers and maritime assets, in line with the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff. (The Sun, but headline rejigged)