LONESTAR Cell Mtn Extends Its Condolences To The Families Of The Loved Ones Lost In The Niko Ivanka Tragedy

Press Release

Lonestar Cell MTN extends its condolences to the families of the loved ones lost because of the sinking of the ship, the Niko Ivanka.

The ship sunk six nautical miles off the coast of Marshall City, Margibi County bringing to five the number of those had died, according to Liberia’s Incident Management System.

Lonestar Cell MTN Chief Executive Officer, Rahul De, said, “We are saddened by this occurrence. Our sincerest condolences go out to the families who have lost loved ones.  We extend our support to those that were rescued and their families.”

The Liberian Maritime Authority used the telecommunications company’s network to initially locate the vessel shortly after it sunk.  

LiMA Commissioner, Eugene Nagbe, said “The last call came from a Lonestar Cell MTN number. We spoke to the management of MTN. We asked them to triangulate and tell us exactly where to narrow down the search area.”

 “With the support of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), we were able to provide the general direction of the sinking ship so it could be found,” said Mr. De. 

LTA Commissioner for Government, Consumer Affairs, and Universal Access, Israel Akinsanya, said that as the mobile network regulator it’s our job to assist the government in these emergencies. We reached out to Lonestar Cell MTN to support the search and rescue operations. 

Commissioner Akinsanya added, “We commend Lonestar Cell MTN for promptly providing the requested information. They did so within an hour of the request.”   

Commissioner Nagbe said, “That’s the nature of search and rescue. Search and rescue brings on board the police, the Coast Guard, the Maritime Authority, the Ministry of Defense, and private entities that we can bring to the situation.”

Mr. De added that Lonestar Cell MTN continues to stand ready and willing to support the Government of Liberia and the security sector, particularly during emergencies.    

In addition, he commended the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), the Ministry of National Defense, and the Armed Forces of Liberia Coast Guard for its determined search, rescue and recovery efforts.

He added, “We are Liberians. We are one family. We remain committed to the well-being of Liberians and ensuring the viability of our solid network. We are working overtime to ensure everyone here lives a modern and connected life.”