Tragedy has strucked in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State on Monday evening, when two unregistered boats, each carrying 16 passengers, collided and capsized in the Lagos Lagoon. The incident, which occurred near Imore town, has left at least 21 passengers feared drowned.
Confirming the incident, Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson made it known that the Ilashe Police Division received a distress call around 7pm on Monday, alerting them to the incident.
Emergency responders, including marine police, local divers, and other rescue teams, were quickly deployed to the scene. Eleven injured passengers were rescued and rushed to the Naval Hospital in Navy Town, Alakija, for urgent medical treatment.
“On October 7, 2024, at about 7 pm, a distress call was received at the Ilashe Division reporting that two unregistered passenger boats collided in the middle of the lagoon at Imore town. As a result, the boats capsized, and the passengers drowned along with their goods,” the statement read.
While the 11 injured passengers are receiving medical attention, the fate of the remaining passengers remains uncertain, with recovery efforts currently underway to locate their bodies. Hundeyin added that an investigation into the cause of the tragic collision is ongoing.
This incident has once again highlighted the dangers of unregulated boat operations in the state, prompting calls for stricter safety measures on Lagos waterways.
