16 feared dead , Fashola orders evacuation of waterfront

There was no rain saturday which could have increased the water level. But nonetheless, the Atlantic Ocean surged and overflowed its banks, levelling the popular relaxation spot, Kuramo Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos.

No fewer than 16 persons were feared dead in its wake, as the surge sacked communities within the vicinity.

THISDAY gathered that five of the 16 victims were women and another one was said to be a local diver simply identified as Oloruwa.

By last night, only one corpse had been recovered.

The surge, as gathered, started on Friday night but became violent at about 7 am saturday.

THISDAY learnt that the first set of victims were 12 traders who were on a passenger boat heading to Kuramo when the ocean rebelled.

The local diver, who was also on a fishing boat, attempted to rescue the traders but unfortunately got drowned due to the powerful surge of the ocean.

Sources said the four other victims were fun-seekers at Kuramo Beach. They were said to have been swept off with their cabins.

The surge, however, did not affect the office of Eko Atlantic City, which has a big barricade.

Reports said saturday's incident was not the first of its kind, a fact buttressed by residents who said the surge usually occurs once every year.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said immediately the news broke, policemen and other rescue groups were drafted to the scene.

According to her, following the incident, which started at about 7 am, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Victoria Island, Mr. Adegoke Fayoade, sent policemen to cordon off the area so that the surge does not consume more people.

Reacting to the incident, Mr. Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the state Governor Babatunde Fashola, said the state was on top of the situation.

In a statement made available to THISDAY, Bello said following seven days of high waves accompanied by a strong ocean surge which hit the country's coastline with Lagos being among the worst hit due to its location, the state government ordered the immediate evacuation of the state's waterfront.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Prince Segun Oniru, said the process had started with the immediate evacuation of the Kuramo Beach to make way for movement of sand into the area. This action, the commissioner explained, had to be taken immediately to avert the disaster of the Atlantic Ocean joining the Kuramo Waters and subsequently the Lagoon.

Oniru, who explained that the state was getting the extreme of this weather condition due to its location, noted that other coastal waterfront areas badly affected from which people would be expected to move included Badagry and Ojo Waterfront areas, Bar Beach, Kuramo Beach, Goshen Estate, Maiyegun and Alpha Beach.

He, however, added that the state emergency service had already been mobilised to continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly, adding that Lagosians should remain calm.

Also speaking on the incident, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Femi Oke-Osayintolu, said the incident occurred when residents were still sleeping.

He said those affected were mainly people occupying illegal shanties at the beach front, adding that only one body had been recovered so far.

According to him, the agency cordoned off the entire area and immediately and started evacuating residents, adding that residents should take note of the incident and vacate for their safety. A frontline environmental activist who has been harping on the need to sanitise the waterways, Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi, blamed the recent incident on the abandoned shipwrecks in the ocean.

Citing Alpha Beach and other beaches within the ocean area that had experienced similar crises, Majekodunmi reiterated his demand on the Federal Government to assist the state in removing the wrecks in other to checkmate any future occurrence.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Prince Segun Oniru, said the process had started with the immediate evacuation of the Kuramo Beach to make way for movement of sand into the area. This action, the commissioner explained, had to be taken immediately to avert the disaster of the Atlantic Ocean joining the Kuramo Waters and subsequently the Lagoon.

can someone please explain what the bolded part means?

The bar beach is a strip or bar of sand that lies between the atlantic ocean and the lagoon and adjacent to the expanse of water behiind eko hotel called kuramo waters. If the water continues to surge it will most lkely submerge the beach and join the lagoon. Scary thought

homerac7:


can someone please explain what the bolded part means?

^
ok, got it. good explanation sir. tnx

The Lekki peninsula is what geographers refer to as a Barrier Reef. It is usually located between the Ocean and Lagoon forming a natural barrier of shifting shoals and sand which help protect the inland and fresh water lagoon from ocean surges.

Unfortunately, much of the fresh water marsh land and shoals have been sand-filled and developed, the result of this is the erosive and unabated shoreline degradation along the Bar-Beach and adorning shorelines.

With the sand filling and shoreline extension for Eko City I am damn sure that the surge will affect the Lagoon and Marina coast and opposing Wharf in the near future as well as flush down all of Tinibu's stolen wealth.

^ but i think d port is on d western part of lagos harbour and protected by a barrier (visible at Tarkwa Bay beack) against d west-east natural sweep of current across Bight of Benin, hence cant really be swept off. u also realize that Eko Atlantic city is immediately on d eastern side of same harbour thus enjoying d protection of same barrier. i think d effect may be further downstream at lekki and beyond.

homerac7: ^ but i think d port is on d western part of lagos harbour and protected by a barrier (visible at Tarkwa Bay beack) against d west-east natural sweep of current across Bight of Benin, hence cant really be swept off. u also realize that Eko Atlantic city is immediately on d eastern side of same harbour thus enjoying d protection of same barrier. i think d effect may be further downstream at lekki and beyond.

There is an artificial dyke bordering the Lagoon from the Atlantic where a defunct light house was located it is called east mole. The Eko Atlantic sand filling was done on this dyke and extended into the Atlantic. If you have been to the Oceanographic Institute located by the Beach you will know what am talking about. The shore depletion is more pronounced as you head towards Eko Le Meridian by Kuramo which is an indicator that the ocean currents are more parallel flowing from the Lekki zone.

yes i know d place. ur last explanation probably supports my last post dt d effect will b at eastern part of d harbour beyond Eko Atlantic City. What it shows is a massive failure of EIA or somebody ignored it.