One dead, 15 rescued as passenger boat capsized in Lagos

Abiola Seun

One person has been confirmed dead after a passenger boat heading towards Ikorodu capsized after Adekunle end of the Inland waterways on Monday evening

The accident, which occurred 17:00 hours, involved passengers returning home from their various places of work in the island and heading to Ikorodu.

Recall that the Managing Director of NIWA, Dr George Moghalu had lamented the theft and vandalisation of navigational buoys on the nation’s inland waterways.

The buoys serve as marks that indicate where safe water lies and where vessels should navigate safely within a channel. It also identifies where potential hazards or submerged objects may be.

“We provide these navigational aids and vandals will go and remove them, they vandalise the buoys that they can only be effective in the afternoon and not at night.

” Most of these vandals are from riverine communities because, anyone who can’t swim can’t remove the lighting on the buoys,” the NIWA MD lamented.

However, confirming the mishap, the General Manager, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Lagos Office, Engr. Sarat Braimah, said the boat hit a rock on the Adekunle end of the Third mainland bridge and immediately capsized.

According to her, NIWA with the help of marine police, Lagos State Waterways Agency (LASWA) and fishermen rescued 15 persons while one passenger lost his life.

Braimah, however, said the family of the victim has been contacted and are on their way to pick up the body of the victim.

She said, “there was an unfortunate boat mishaps at about 17:00 on the Lagos Inland waterway as a 17- passenger boat named “TEMI 3 Global” which departed CMS Ferry Terminal at 1635hrs in route Ikorodu Ferry Terminal was involved in an accident.

“Fifteen minutes into the journey near Adekunle Waterfront, the boat hit an underwater obstacle which broke the hull of the boat and this resulted to the capsize of the boat but, with the help of fishermen, Marine police and police, we were able to rescue 15 of the 16 persons onboard the ill-fated boat.”

Speaking further, she said the death of the victim might be caused by fear because he was rescued alive.

“He was rescued alive and taken to the hospital but, his death may be because he was panicking but, his family has been contacted and they are coming to pick his corpse. We sincerely condole with the family of the deceased and pray for the soul of the dead to rest in perfect peace.”