A boat accident has claimed no fewer than 5 lives at Imore town in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos State following a collision between two boats on the waterways during a night voyage.
Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in a statement on Tuesday, confirmed the tragic incident occurred at approximately 7:00 PM on Monday.
“At approximately 7:00 PM, ‘Only God 13,’ a fiber boat traveling from Ebutte Ero to Badagry with 15 passengers, including the captain and deckhand, collided with a wooden boat carrying 10 passengers from Alakija to Imore,” Oke-Osanyintolu stated.
He confirmed that all passengers on the “Only God 13” boat were rescued alive, but five passengers aboard the wooden boat sustained serious injuries and have since been hospitalised.
“Fortunately, all passengers on board ‘Only God 13’ were rescued safely. However, five passengers from the wooden boat sustained injuries and are currently hospitalized. Regrettably, a few individuals remain unaccounted for, and search and rescue efforts are ongoing,” he said.
He said with five still missing, search and rescue operations continue as authorities work to find the unaccounted-for passengers from the ill-fated wooden boat.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, also confirmed the incident on Tuesday in Lagos.
He said the police received a distress call about the accident
“Teams of conventional/marine policemen, local divers, and other emergency responders were swiftly mobilised to the scene where 11 of the passengers were rescued with injuries,” he said.
According to him, the injured were rushed to Navy Hospital, Navy Town, Alakija, for medical attention, while search and rescue operations is being intensified to recover the victims’ bodies.
He further stated that an investigation is ongoing into the matter
