No fewer than eight persons were feared drowned, yesterday, after a commercial boat capsized around Apapa area of Lagos.

The engine boat conveying passengers, majority of whom were traders, was reportedly coming from Sagbokoji Village, when tragedy struck.

Lagos State Police Command said only two persons were suspected to have drowned in the boat mishap, while seven persons were rescued.

Information available to Vanguard revealed that the commercial boat, conveying about 19 passengers, left the village at 7.30a.m., heading towards Lagoon area of Apapa.

Midway into the journey, the boat reportedly developed a fault, but the operators assured the passengers they would fix it.

Apprehension, however, set in when it became apparent that the boat operators could not rectify the problem. Some of the panic stricken passengers, who could swim, reportedly plunged into the river before the boat reportedly capsized at about 8a.m.

Fishermen around the area reportedly rescued some of the passengers.

Eyewitnesses said about nine persons were rescued and conveyed to their destinations.

One of the rescued passengers included a young girl that was said to be carrying dried fish to an unknown destination for sale.

Identities of some of those suspected to have drowned were given as Toume, Fajuwa and Tomiwa.

When contacted, Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Damasus Ozoani, confirmed the incident, stating that information at his disposal had it that two persons were suspected drowned.

He said rescue operation by operatives of the Marine Police was still on. As at 4.30pm, bodies of some of the victims were yet to be recovered.

Jayses: I hope i'm not mistaken if i say , Nigeria is doom.

Jayses: I hope i'm not mistaken if i say , Nigeria is doom.

Jayses: I hope i'm not mistaken if i say , Nigeria is doom.

Rawdeal: Nonchalance of the operators for human lives. People can be so careless and greedy. Would the loss of changing boats be equivalent to the loss of these lives?? SMH.... i think its us forcing END TIME THINGS on God at the rate we're
going

ifyalways: Its high time the government bans illegal and reckless boat operators and most importantly,make secured water transportation readily available and affordable to all :rural and urban.
Whhile we celebrate Fasola's boats someone needs to remind him that lagos waters does not start and end at VI - Ikorodu/Ikoyi. He(and other governors) should extend same gesture to the local villagers who depend on the waterways largely for their business and day-to-day activities

double3:
I think the passengers were adamant towards telling the boat operator to return back to shore;this was exactly what happened when I traveled to bonny early this year;5minutes into the journey one of the speed boat engines failed,and the boat operator tried to assure us that we can manage one while he repaired the second one on the way;as God would have it,we had reasonable passengers on board who insisted the operator turns back with the one engine we had left. Though he proved stubborn but continuous persistence on our path made him return ashore.

ifyalways: Its high time the government bans illegal and reckless boat operators and most importantly,make secured water transportation readily available and affordable to all :rural and urban.
Whhile we celebrate Fasola's boats someone needs to remind him that lagos waters does not start and end at VI - Ikorodu/Ikoyi. He(and other governors) should extend same gesture to the local villagers who depend on the waterways largely for their business and day-to-day activities

nerodenero: [b]Life-jacket would have prevented them from drowning.[/b]I might not be far from right to say that poor people die more than the rich in the country.