It was a day of tragedy for the Nigerian Military today as a gunboat belonging to the 146 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Bonny, Rivers State burst into flames at sea earlier today.

Eyewitness accounts have it that the gunboat caught fire while refueling less than a nautical mile from the Coal Beach jetty in Bonny.

Though no life was lost, it was yet unclear what actually led to the fire incident.

Eyewitnesses further disclosed to Kristina Reports that with the assistance of the civilian commercial boat pilots at the jetty critical security assets and other items in the gunboat were quickly evacuated from the burning boat and the soldiers unboarded to safety.

Knowledgeable sources, however, say the unfortunate incident may impinge on the capabilities of the security services in the area in their fight to restore normalcy and assure safety of travelers on the Bonny- Port Harcourt sea route after series of sea piracy attacks rendered the Bonny River a flashpoint of terror.

A reliable source, who pleaded anonymity, confided in Kristina Reports that investigations were already on to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, hinting that sabotage may not be ruled out.  

Also under review is the safety measures being implemented in the various gunboats, with special regards to POL (petroleum, oils and lubricants) handling and refueling processes.

Efforts by Kristina Reports to get the reaction of the Nigerian Army authorities on the incident was yet futile as there were no responses yet to messages to the relevant officials via their mobile lines.