The aftermath of the unfortunate boat accident that saw over 16 missing passengers has been updated as a total of 15 bodies have been recovered from the 16-passenger boat that capsized on July 8 in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel who is the General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), had announced and confirmed the new figure.
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Four bodies of the victims were recovered on Saturday, while 11 others were recovered on Sunday.
Emmanuel had revealed that Search and Rescue teams of LASWA, the National Inland Waterways, Nigerian Marine Police and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, were still searching for the only remaining body.
Africa Daily News, New York reports that the 16-passenger boat took off from Mile 2, and was heading to Ibeshe in Ojo Area when tragedy struck.
LASWA had earlier reported that the boat took off at 7.45 pm on Friday carrying a full capacity of 16 passengers.
Emmanuel said the boat driver broke waterways rules by sailing late in the evening without providing life jackets for passengers.
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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“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.
