By Aminu Kutama
Two persons have been confirmed dead in a boat accident in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State yesterday.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed this in a statement to newsmen, on Wednesday.
He added that emergency responders also rescued 15 passengers on board the boat that sunk due to a mechanical fault.
“The Lion squad of the agency responded to the above incident today 6th of July 2022. On arrival, it was discovered that a 20-passenger ferry boat carrying 17 passengers named “R & N 2” had capsized due to a suspected mechanical fault and was rapidly submerged following its departure from the Ipakodo ferry terminal.
“A combined team of water guards, the search and rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and LASEMA responders were mobilised to the scene of the incident, leading to the rescue of 15 persons alive,”Dr Olufemi said.
The permanent secretary regretted that among the victims were two female passengers who couldn’t make it, “Two adult female passengers were retrieved unconscious and were transferred to the nearest hospital for treatment. They unfortunately never regained consciousness and were later declared dead.”
The LASEMA boss stated that the boat captain is being investigated by the relevant authorities while LASWA has begun a probe into the cause of the accident
