Two boats carrying 16 passengers each collided and capsized in the middle of the lagoon at Imore town in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos State yesterday, October 7, 2024.
The incident, reported to the Ilashe police division at about 7 pm, has left at least 21 passengers feared drowned.
According to Benjamin Hundeyin, spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, emergency responders swiftly mobilized to the scene, rescuing 11 passengers with injuries.
The injured were rushed to the Naval Hospital in Navy Town, Alakija, for medical attention.
In a press release, Hundeyin stated, “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.”
Efforts are currently underway to recover the bodies of the remaining unaccounted passengers. Hundeyin confirmed that an investigation into the incident is also ongoing to determine the cause of the collision.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past, such as the recent capsizing of a W19 passenger Fibre boat carrying 16 people along the Ojo area of the state.
