No fewer than 21 passengers are feared drowned in a boat accident that occurred on Monday at Imore town in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Tragic events occurred when two boats, each carrying 16 passengers, collided and capsized in the centre of the lagoon.
Benjamin Hundeyin, spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, said in a news statement on Tuesday that the incident was reported to the Ilashe police division about 7 p.m.
According to him, emergency responders, including marine police and local divers, rushed to the situation and rescued 11 injured passengers.
He stated that the injured were taken to the Naval Hospital in Navy Town, Alakija, for treatment.
The statement read, “On October 7, 2024, at about 7 pm, a distress call was received at the Ilashe Division reporting that two unregistered passenger boats, each carrying 16 passengers, allegedly collided in the middle of the lagoon at Imore town. As a result, the boats capsized, and the passengers drowned along with their goods.
“Based on the report, teams of conventional and marine policemen, local divers, and other emergency responders were swiftly mobilised to the scene, where 11 passengers were rescued with injuries and rushed to the Naval Hospital in Navy Town, Alakija, for medical attention.”
Meanwhile, other passengers remain unaccounted for, with Hundeyin saying that efforts to locate their bodies are underway.
He also stated that an investigation into the matter is underway.
