Four people have been confirmed dead after a boat they boarded in Ikorodu, Lagos capsized on Saturday.
The 20-seater boat, carrying 17 passengers and two-crew members, was travelling from the Ijede Jetty to Badore in Lekki when it capsized at about 10.20 am
Spokesperson, South-West Zone, National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said it had been initially thought that six people had died in the accident, but two of them survived.
Rescue operation was carried out by men of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Marine Police, National Inland Waterways Authority (LASWA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire Service and local divers.
Only last week, a casualty was recorded when two boats collided in Ikorodu, with the General Manager, LASWA, Mrs. Abisola Kamson saying that the incident was caused by early morning fog which led to poor visibility for the captains of the two vessels.
The state government has, however, summoned an emergency meeting with all commercial boat operators in the state on Tuesday, February 2, just as it vowed to clamp down on boat operators who continue to contravene the rules and regulations guiding their operations.
A statement signed by Kamson said the meeting, which will focus on the compliance of safety standards of vessels operating on the state waterways, will hold at the LASWA office in Falomo Ikoyi by 9:30am.
“Despite efforts by the State Government to enforce the safety standards on the waterways, some boat operators still flout the rules and regulations thereby putting the lives of innocent citizens at risk.
“The Lagos State Government will not tolerate the operation of substandard vessels on the waterways. Any individual or corporate entity found to be operating vessels not deemed water worthy will be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law,” she said.
Kamson who confirmed Saturday’s mishap said the incident occurred at approximately 10:20am on a boat, Amen Limited, of Aki Marine Company belonging to one Mr. Akeem Balogun, which was travelling from Ijede to Badore East.
She said although all passengers on the boat were wearing their life jackets, the covered design of the boat made rescue efforts challenging.
Kamson said that survivors rescued were immediately taken to the Ijede General Hospital for treatment, while investigations are ongoing in collaboration with the Marine Police.
Five people died in September 2015 when a boat carrying 20 people capsized in the Bayeku-Igbogbo area of Ikorodu.
Six teenagers were killed on their way to school in a boat accident in the Ojo area of the state in July 2015.
