One dies as Lagos records another boat mishap

One person was on Tuesday confirmed dead in another boat mishap on the Lagos waters near Oworonshoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge.

However, 19 others onboard the ill-fated boat was rescued alive at the time of filing in this report. Boat mishap is recurring decimal on the Lagos waterways and several persons have lost their lives over the years.

The passenger boat identified as Sealink was said to be travelling from Ikorodu to CMS when the incident occurred at about 9:30am in Oworonshoki after hitting a submerged object.
Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, managing director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), who confirmed the mishap, said the 19 persons were rescued alive by the agency.
Emmanuel said the 19 persons rescued have been taken to Ebute Ero Jetty from where they were transferred to the hospital, while further investigations on the cause of the accident were still ongoin
“A passenger boat named Sealink with 20 passengers and two crew onboard coming from Ikorodu to CMS ran over a submerged wooden boat close to Third Mainland Bridge and 19 passengers were carried to safety to Ebute Ero Jetty.
“The LASWA emergency response team recovered a female body (identified as a police officer attached to Zone 2 Police Station) and handed over the corpse to the Marine Police. Her husband is an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
“The submerged Sealink boat has been salvaged and towed to a secure location off the waterways. Salvaging operations is also taking place to get the submerged wooden boat off the navigable channel,” Emmanuel said.
He added that the crew members of the said Sealink boat have already been taken to police custody as investigation is still ongoing. He assured that the state government would not relent in coming up with policies and programmes to enhance safety on the waterways.

 

JOSHUA BASSEY