A tragic boat accident on Monday evening has left at least 21 passengers feared drowned after two passenger boats collided in the middle of the lagoon near Imore town, in Lagos’ Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area.
According to the Lagos State Police Command, the incident was reported around 7 p.m. when the two unregistered boats, each carrying 16 passengers, collided and capsized.
The spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that emergency responders, including marine police and local divers, were swiftly dispatched to the scene.
“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,” Hundeyin said in a press release.
Eleven passengers were rescued alive, though they sustained injuries and were rushed to the Naval Hospital in Navy Town, Alakija, for medical attention.
At the time this report was filed, efforts are still ongoing to recover the remaining passengers, who are currently unaccounted for.
Local divers, marine police, and other emergency response teams continue the search-and-rescue operations as authorities launch an investigation into the cause of the collision.