Barely three days after the unfortunate boat accident around Ikorodu area of Lagos State leading to the death of two passengers, another boat accident occurred on Friday night around the Mile 2 area.
Mrs Sarat Braimah, Lagos Area Manager, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), confirmed the incident in a statement on Sallah day.
Braimah said that 16 passengers onboard 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 Lagos State Waterways Authority received a distress call of an incident on the waterways.
“A W19 passenger Fibre boat carrying 16 people capsized along the Ojo area of the state.
“The boat going from Mile 2 to Ibeshe in Ojo axis broke the waterways rules of late travelling by setting sail at 7.45 p.m.,” she said.
Braimah said that 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 which includes children were not all putting on their life jackets.
“The search and rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), National Inland Waterways (NIWA) were immediately mobilised to the scene of the incident but unfortunately could only find the boat after several hours.
“Efforts are still ongoing to locate the victims.
“The Boat Captain is also unaccounted for as at the time of this press release,” she said.
Braimah noted that the boat was currently in the custody of Marine Police.
In a related development, some emergency responders have rescued three persons from a Lexus Jeep that was swept away by heavy flood around Oyatoki area of Agege, Lagos State.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the Zonal Coordinator, South-West, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Saturday in Lagos.
Farinloye said that the incident involved two vehicles, a Lexus Jeep carrying three persons and a Toyota with three occupants.
According to him, the six persons were reported to have been swept away when rainwater overflowed an uncompleted canal in the area.
“The residents reportedly warned the people in the vehicles to desist from passing through the road but they were adamant, but drove through, and they were swept away,
“One of the people in the Toyota refused, dropped down from the vehicle, the other two drove and they are the only once missing presently.
“All together, three rescued alive, one jumped out to safety, while the remaining two are missing,” he said.
Farinloye said that emergency responders on ground included the Lagos State Fire Service, NEMA, LASEMA, Police and other responders from the community.
“Search and rescue operations are ongoing in search of the other two persons.
“The community members are mobilised due to the fact that they know the terrain of the canal and successfully rescued the four persons,” he added.
