Three individuals have drowned, while 11 others were rescued after a boat capsized in Lagos.
Three individuals, two males, and a female, were found dead, while 11 others were rescued alive after a passenger boat capsized along the Ibeshe-Ikorodu channel. The incident occurred around 7:30 pm on Monday, February 26, 2024, when the boat experienced a sudden mechanical fault, as per eyewitnesses.
Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the tragedy.
Oke-Osanyitolu stated, “The agency received distress calls regarding a Passenger Boat departing from Addax Jetty around 7 pm. Upon arrival, it was observed that the passenger ferry boat named Oluwaseyifunmi, carrying 14 people, had capsized due to a suspected mechanical fault and quickly submerged after departing from the mentioned terminal.”
A combined team of Water guards.
“A combined team of Water guards, the search and rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), and agency responders were mobilized to the scene of the incident, resulting in the rescue of 11 persons alive, who have been taken to Ibeshe Ferry Terminal for treatment,” affirmed Oke-Osanyitolu.
He further stated, “Three passengers were retrieved dead, and the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) has been tasked with transferring their bodies to the state mortuary.”
This incident occurred barely five days after a boat accident in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State, where one person was confirmed dead. The collision happened when the ferry, carrying 17 passengers and named T-Ben, collided with a submerged shoreline concrete at a construction site around the power line corridor at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge. Wuraola Alake, spokesperson for the Lagos State Waterways Authority, confirmed the incident, stating that the ferry had departed from Addax jetty bound for Ibeshe.
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“Out of the 17 passengers reported to be on board this boat, 15 have been rescued, with one casualty confirmed, while rescue efforts are still ongoing,” stated Alake.
She further disclosed that officers from the Search and Rescue Unit of the agency, along with other volunteers, were continuing their rescue operations.
