13 Drown, 5 Rescued As Boat Capsizes In Lagos

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

Ayo Balogun, Lagos

Thirteen people have drowned and five others rescued as a passenger boat capsized at FESTAC area of Lagos, Nigeria on Tuesday night.

The tragedy occurred at about 10.00pm as the boat conveying about 18 passengers from 6^th Avenue to 4^th Avenue capsized with 13 people drowned.

Spokesman, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed 13 people dead, including 10 male, a woman and two kids

The names of the survivors are Samuel Ochima, Joseph Essien, Mane Temisan, Etukufor Geoffrey and Daniel Peter.

According to Farinloye, local divers, police, fire service men, Navy Special Boat Service, National Inland Waterways officers, Marine Police and others were involved in the rescue operation.

The deceased bodies were taken away to the mortuary by the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SEHMU after their bodies were removed from the water by the combined team of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, and other rescue agencies.

Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, General Manager, LASEMA said “The boat capsized at 4^th Avenue, opposite 41 Road junction, FESTAC Town those alive have been taken to LASUTH to receive treatment.

He decried that the passengers were not putting on live jackets as at the time the tragedy occurred, an act he said, was unpleasant, adding that “we have always appealed to those using the boat to always put on a live jacket. Our people need to be safety conscious. Those using ferry should have life buoy. When the incidence occurred, we immediately activated our emergency response system by mobilizing people for the rescue operation.”

Chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, Comrade Ayodele Adewale said four of the survivors swam to shore while a woman was rescued by LASEMA and later died before getting to the hospital.

Adewale stated that those operating the boat system in the area were doing illegal business and that the council had told them on several occasion to leave the place, but that they refused to heed the call of the council, vowing that the council would from henceforth take drastic action against operators of boat services.