Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have put the casualty figure in the boat mishap that happened on Tuesday night in Lagos at 13, while only five survived.
The 18 residents of the state were part of 23 passengers who were being transported on a boat from 6th Avenue to 4th Avenue in the FESTAC area of Lagos, when the boat in which they were travelling capsized at 9pm.
Femi Oke-Osayintolu, the head of LASEMA, said one of the rescued victims died while she was being rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), adding that the boat capsized at 4th Avenue, opposite 41 Road Junction, FESTAC Town.
“Those alive have been taken to LASUTH to receive treatment”, he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the tragedy happened because the passengers did not wear live jackets when the incident happened. According to him, the state government has always appealed to those using the boat to always put on a live jacket.
“Our people need to be safety-conscious”, he said. “Those using ferry should have life buoy. When the incidence occurred, we immediately activated our emergency response system by mobilizing people for the rescue operation”.
Confirming the figure, NEMA spokesperson, Ibrahim Farinloye said five people were still missing, adding that the dead include a woman and a child.
Those who survived are Samuel Ochima, Joseph Essien, Mane Temisan, Etukufor Geoffrey and Daniel Peter. Farinloye said NEMA officials would be going back to search for the remaining corpses.
Others who joined in the rescue effort are local divers, policemen, fire service men, Navy Special Boat Service, National Inland Waterways officers, and the Marine Police.
Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Comrade Ayodele Adewale said four of those who survived actually swam to the shore while the woman who later died was rescued. He said the boat operators were engaging in the illegal business despite several warnings from the government.
He wondered why the residents took the boat when they could easily use a two-kilometre bridge close to the scene where the incident occurred.
“We tried to even used Neighbourhood Watch officers to try to dissuade them from operating in the area but they continued”, he said. “These local boat transporters are like vandals who keep increasing while you try to frustrate them”.
