16 Passengers Feared Dead As Another Boat Capsizes at Mile 2, Lagos

16 passengers feared dead as another boat capsizes on Friday night around the Mile 2 area of Lagos.

Following the incident, the Search and Rescue team of the LASWA and NIWA were mobilized to the scene. 

NIWA says that the W19 passenger Fibre boat broke the waterways rules of late traveling by setting sail at 7.45 pm.

Barely three days after the unfortunate boat accident around the Ikorodu area of Lagos State which led to the death of two passengers, another boat accident claimed 16 passengers on Friday night around the Mile 2 area of Lagos.

In a press release issued by the Lagos Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Eng Sarat Braimah on Saturday morning, 16 passengers on board the ill-fated boat are yet to be accounted for.

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“At about 7.45 today the 8th of July 2022, 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 traveling by setting sail at 7.45 pm. As he set out, the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge which caused the boat to overturn. It is said that all passengers on board including children were not all putting on their life jackets.

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“The Search and Rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), National Inland Waterways (NIWA) were immediately mobilized to the scene of the incident but unfortunately could only find the boat after several hours while efforts are still ongoing to locate the victims.

“The Boat is currently in the custody of Marine Police. The Boat Captain is also unaccounted for as at the time of this press release” she stated.

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