Speed boat capsizes in Lagos… 4 dead, 17 rescued

Tragedy struck over the weekend at Bayeku area of Lagos when a passenger boat capsized drowning four persons with one reportedly missing.

Emergency officials said the accident occurred at about 7:30pm on Saturday.

The boat was said to be conveying about 22 people from Oke-Ira to Bayeku in Ikorodu when it was hit behind by another boat which was on top speed.

Sources said 17 persons were rescued, four bodies recovered, while one was still missing.
A boat driver disclosed that some of the passengers refused to wear life jackets given to them for the fear of contracting the Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD).

The driver added: “The boat operator was dumbfounded and could not recollect the number of passengers in the boat. It was when we got to the jetty that we cross-checked the number and we went back only to find four bodies inside the boat”, the diver said.

There had been a lot of boat mishaps in Lagos this year alone, with one of the worst being the accident which killed about 13 passengers in Ikorodu area of Lagos as they were coming from Lagos Island.