By OLA MUDOPE, Lagos –
No fewer than 16 passengers have gone missing following a boat accident that occurred on a Friday night in Mile 2 Area of Lagos State.
This is coming barely three days after the unfortunate boat accident around Ikorodu area of Lagos State leading to the death of two passengers.
The Lagos Area Manager, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mrs Sarat Braimah, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday.
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.
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