4 die ,13 rescued from boat mishap in Lagos

Four persons today lost their lives while 13 others were rescued after a boat conveying 17 passengers capsized, in Badore area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that the tragedy occurred when the boat that took off at Ijede area of the state capsised in Badore at about 10:20am.

BusinessDay leanrt that the victims which were three males and one female boarded the boat to their destinations after the monthly environmental sanitation exercise when the boat suddenly capsised.

Officials of the government confirmed that the rescued passengers had been taken to Ikorodu General Hospital for treatment.

Ibrahim Farinloye, the publicity secretary of National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) South-West zone affirmed that the boat that the ill fated boat was on its way from Ijede area with 17 passengers on board.

According to him, “the mishap was caused by the activities of sand dredgers. They filled a section of the water with sand without the knowledge of the boat operators. The affected boat ran into the accumulated sand and tumbled and fell off”.

This tragic incident is coming nine days after a fatal boat collision also occurred at Ibeshe in Ikorodu axis of the state claiming the life of one passenger on board while several others were injured.

JOSHUA BASSEY