Another boat accident which is coming barely three days after a boat accident had occurred around the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, where two passengers died has taken place again on Friday night around the Mile 2 area.
This was disclosed in a statement which had been issued on Saturday by Mrs Sarat Braimah, Lagos Area Manager, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
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She informed that 16 passengers on board the ill-fated boat were yet to be accounted for.
“At about 7.45 p.m., on July 8, the National Inland Waterways Authority and the Lagos State Waterways Authority received a distress call of an incident on the waterways.
“A W19 passenger Fibre boat carrying about 16 people capsized along the Ojo area of the state.
“The boat from Mile 2 to Ibeshe in the Ojo axis broke the waterways rules of late travelling by setting sail at 7.45 p.m.,” she said.
Braimah said the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge, which caused it to overturn.
“It is said that all passengers on board, including children, were not all wearing their life jackets.
It had previously reported that no fewer than two persons died in a boat accident that has also seen the rescue of about fifteen people in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, authorities confirmed on Thursday morning.
This ugly incident was confirmed in a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
According to him, emergency responders also rescued 15 passengers on board the boat that sunk due to a mechanical fault.
‘The Lion squad of the agency responded to the above incident today 6th of July 2022,’ he said. ‘On arrival, it was discovered that a 20-passenger ferry boat carrying 17 passengers named ‘R & N 2’ had capsized due to a suspected mechanical fault and was rapidly submerged following its departure from the Ipakodo ferry terminal.
‘A combined team of water guards, the search and rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and LASEMA responders were mobilised to the scene of the incident, leading to the rescue of 15 persons alive.’
