By Femi Kasali
No fewer than two passengers lost their lives as a 17-passenger boat capsized on the waterways in Ikorodu Local Government, Lagos State.
Fifteen Passengers were reported to have been rescued from the boat mishap, with the lifeless bodies of two recovered from the water.
It was alleged that the boat named, “R & N 2” suddenly experienced a mechanical fault barely 200 meters away from the terminal in Ikorodu, leading to the unfortunate incident.
As gathered, the boat, after setting off to its destination on Lagos Island, suddenly submerged immediately after it departed the Ipakodo ferry terminal in the Ikorodu area.
Confirming the mishap, General Manager of Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, disclosed that the accident occurred at about 7.45am on Wednesday.
Emmanuel said that the Water guards, as well as the search and rescue team of the LASWA, were mobilized immediately to the incident scene, leading to the rescue of 15 people.
According to him, while two female unconscious passengers were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment. They were, however, later confirmed dead at the hospital.
“The Boat Captain is currently being investigated by the relevant authorities while full investigation into the cause of this mishap is ongoing, to get more details”, he said.
