The Lagos State Waterway Authority (LASWA), on Friday, confirmed 10 people dead in a boat mishap that happened on Wednesday July 29th.
Also, four people have been declared missing while five others were rescued in the boat mishap which happened around Kirikiri, Apapa.
Daily Trust reports that 19 people were on board the boat when it capsized on its way to Badagry from Kirikiri.
It was the second major incident on the waterway in the space of one month.
Daily Trust reports that on 3rd July, 2020, another boat, which took off from Ebute-Ero enroute Ikorodu with 21 passengers, capsized around 8 p.m with seven people dead while others were rescued.
Also, prior to Wednesday’s incident, there was another boat mishap on Tuesday July 28 which occurred at about 7:24pm enroute Ikoyi from Ilashe.
A total of 10 persons comprising nine adult males and a female were involved in the incident and were all rescued from the water alive.
General Manager, LASWA, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, while confirming Wednesday’s incident, said a survivor’s account revealed that the boat’s Captain got distracted while trying to collect fares from a passenger and the boat was overturned by the current when most passengers were yet to properly put on their life jackets.
He said rescue effort was immediate as the boat was just a few meters from where it took off.
But he disclosed that only five people were rescued out of the 19 occupants.
“10 persons were confirmed dead and four are still unaccounted for, including the boat deckhand,” the GM said in a statement Friday night.
He said LASWA has apprehended the boat captain and has handed him over to marine police for further investigation and sanctions.
“The emergency and regulatory authorities are still on a search and rescue operation,” he stated, adding that further updates on the rescue operation would follow.
