21 feared dead, 11 rescued as boats collide in Lagos

By Christopher  Oji and Steve Agbota

No fewer than 21 passengers were  feared dead  in a boat accident that occurred on Monday at Imore town in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos State, yesterday.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police received a distress call about the accident.

The  PPRO  said,“A distress call was received at Ilashe Division that two unregistered passenger boats, both having 16 passengers onboard, collided at  the middle of the lagoon at Imore Town.

“In the process, the boats capsized and passengers got drowned with the goods,” he said.

Hundyin said that emergency responders consequently stormed the scene.

“Teams of conventional/marine policemen, local divers and other emergency responders were swiftly mobilised to the scene where 11 of the passengers were rescued with injuries.

“The injured were rushed to  Navy Hospital, Navy Town, Alakija, for medical attention, while search and rescue operation is being intensified with a view to recovering bodies of victims,” the spokesperson said.

He said investigation was ongoing in the matter.

Meanwhile,the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has said that 13 persons have been rescued while two others remain missing in the  accident.

In a statement by  NIWA yesterday, it  disclosed that the incident occurred at approximately 6:45pm on Monday.

While the inland waterway regulator maintained that search and rescue operations were  on going, five of the rescued victims are currently hospitalized following the ghastly accident.

Giving details of the accident, the Lagos NIWA Area Manager, E Sarat Braimah said that a fiber boat carrying 13 passengers, along with a deckhand, captain, and cargo, was enroute from Ebute Ero to Badagry when it collided with a wooden boat.

“The wooden boat had just departed from Imore jetty, transporting passengers to Imore waterside.

“Upon investigation, it was found that the wooden boat had barely left the jetty when the fiber boat veered off its course. The collision was attributed to the fiber boat captain’s obstructed vision, likely caused by the boat’s load.

“Of the 15 passengers believed to be aboard the wooden boat (as no passenger manifest was filled), 13 were rescued, with 5 sustaining injuries and currently receiving treatment at a hospital. However, 2 passengers remain missing as of this report”.