2 feared dead, 18 rescued in Lagos boat mishap

At least two persons were feared dead at the weekend when an 18-seater passenger boat in which they were trav­elling ran into another boat along the Ojo-Tin-Can Island water channel in Lagos.

The victims, whose identities could not be ascertained as at press time were suspected to be the boat operator and his assistant. They were said to be the only ones on board the second boat as at the time of the accident. However, local divers reportedly rescued the 18 others who were travelling on board the passenger boat. They were said to be hospitalised in an undisclosed hospital at Ojo, Lagos.

It was gathered that the boat carrying the 18 passengers allegedly took off from the Ojo area of Lagos at about 11.30 a.m. on Friday and was heading towards Tin-Can/Coconut when it rammed into the second boat coming from the opposite direction. It was also learnt that those on the Tin-Can -bound boat recovered the bodies of the two victims from the water.

They were rushed to an undisclosed hospital located in Coconut area, where they were confirmed dead, it was gathered.

“Those who could swim, swam their way to a nearby island, while few others were rescued by a combined team of fishermen and local dredgers,” a witness said. The source blamed the assistant operator of the boat they were traveling in for the accident. The source, who identified himself as Subar, a clearing agent, who works with a shipping company in Lagos, attributed the incident to the recklessness of the assistant operator of the boat, who was sitting down instead of standing while steering the boat.