One Dead, One Missing, 19 Rescued in Lagos Boat Mishap

Ololade Adeyanju/

One female passenger lost her life in a boat mishap in Lagos on Tuesday.

Another passenger remains unaccounted for after men of the marine police command rescued 19 of the 21 passengers in the ill-fated boat.

The deceased was traveling with her husband when the boat capsized while crossing under the third mainland bridge about 10am.

The driver of the the boat reportedly fled the scene abandoning the passengers to their fate.

Police however said they had arrested the conductor and vowed to apprehend the fleeing driver.

Spokesman for the police in Lagos, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said in a statement that an eyewitness alerted the marine police command, which promptly mobilised its personnel to the scene.

He said they were joined in the rescue operation by men of the police Rapid Response Squad (RRS), which used a helicopter to locate the exact spot of the accident.

The statement said all the rescued passengers and the conductor were taken to the Marine Police Station in Obalende, Lagos.

The wreckage of the boat was also towed to the Marine Police yard, while the corpse had been deposited in the morgue, the statement further revealed.

Police also warned passenger boat operators against overloading and implored them to always provide life jackets for their passengers.

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