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Tag: boat mishap

  • White paper on boat mishap coming

    The WhitePaper on the report of the committee that probed the immediate and remote causes of the Majidun/Ikorodu boat mishap would soon be released, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation,  Mr. Kayode Opeifa, has said.

    He said the 11-man committee headed by the Director, Public Transportation and Commuter Service, Mr. Olajide Tairu, came up with ways to halt incessant boat mishaps in the state.

    Opeifa said the report would form the basis of government’s actions and policy direction in preventing a recurrence.

    He added that the committee is mandated to ascertain and determine the immediate and remote causes of the April 2, boat mishap in Ikorodu and similar boat mishaps in the past as well as ascertain and confirm details of the accident.

    “It will look into the roles of all concerned persons, institutions and agencies and make recommendations as might be considered necessary to avoid a recurrence of such incidents, promote safe practices and adherence to safety standard in water transportation in the state,” he said.

    Opeifa had previously told the Lagos State House of Assembly probe panel on the incident that the mishap occurred when the boat ran into a log in the water, which damaged the vessel and led to its sinking, adding that the incident could have been avoided if the boat driver had maintained normal speed.

    The commissioner accused some boat owners of illegally operating their vessels without official registration and licence as required by law.

    According to him, they are in the habit of overloading the boats against the stipulated number of passengers at any given time, even as some boats lack facilities such as life jackets, fire fighting equipments, security lights, especially when traveling at night and under hazardous conditions, and communications gadgets for distress calls.

  • Five drown in Niger boat mishap

    Four men and a woman on Saturday got drowned when a commercial boat conveying them capsized on River Egah in Edati Local Government Area of Niger State.

    The incident occurred at 2:30 pm when the Sofanla bound boat hit a rock and eventually capsized few minutes after it left Gbanchi village.

    It was gathered that casualty figure would have been more but for the quick intervention of some fishermen and villagers that launched a search party which led to the rescue of some passengers from the ill-fated boat.

    The bodies of the victims were recovered about three hours after the disaster.

    An eye witness, Mallam Iliyasu Gambo who spoke with newsmen at the river bank lamented that the passengers got drowned due to non-adherance to government directive of using life jackets by operators of commercial boat.

    According to him, “the passengers would not have drowned, talk less of dying in the boat mishap if they wore life jackets. The state government has told every passengers and operators of boats and ferry to always wear life jackets whenever they are travelling but these people did not that is why we can’t even save them.”

    Niger State Governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu last year made usage of life jackets mandatory for operators of commercial boat service on all the water ways in the state.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Richard Oguche, confirmed the accident and said that the state Commissioner of Police had dispatched the Marine personnel of the command to the area to assist in the recovery of the remains of the drowned passengers.

    Oguche gave the names of the victims of the mishap as Baba Mohammed, Abu Yaba, Audu Saidu, Jibrin Mohammed and Aisha Usman.

  • Boat mishap: Death toll rises to 10

    Boat mishap: Death toll rises to 10

    The toll in Wednesday’s boat mishap on the Ebute Aro-Ikorodu waterways in Lagos rose to 10 yesterday. The victims include two expectant mothers and a woman whose wedding is billed to hold next weekend. Her fiance, Isaac Akera is said to be among those missing.

    Other victims are a teenage girl and five men.

    A Toyota Corolla car marked APP259CN, said to belong to the would-be couple, was parked at the Bell Marine jetty in Ikorodu.

    An eyewitness, Mrs. Bunmi Abimbola, claimed to have lost N350,000, adding: “There was another woman who lost N1.2million. She was supposed to travel today (yesterday). The boat was overloaded and over-speeding. I was seated at the back, but I complained.

    “I was shouting that what the driver did was wrong, but he did not listen. Then, when we took off, the driver was over-speeding. We all complained, but he refused to listen to us. By the time we got to Iyana Oworo, the boat hit something and the wave was too much. That was how water filled the boat and it sank. It was after about 30 minutes that some fishermen, who were passing by, came to our rescue.”

    “We saw our belongings being carried away by the water; we begged the fishermen to help us retrieve them, but they refused. I sell shoes on Lagos Island.”

    According to Mrs Abimbola, over 25 people were on board and some of them are still trapped in the water.

    Efforts to reach the boat company through one of its staff, Ben Kalejaiye, to ascertain the number of passengers on board failed as calls to his telephone were unanswered.

    Southwest spokesman, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said Kalejaye’s earlier claim that 20 passengers were aboard was “incorrect” since Akere is still missing.

    “It means the information by Mr. Ben Kalejaye that there were only 20 passengers on board is incorrect. Relations of a couple planning to wed next weekend have just informed us that the couple was in the ill-fated boat. The body of the wife was found in the morgue, while the husband was not found. Two expectant mothers, a girl and five men died. The search for others continues,” he said.

    Also yesterday, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) said the passengers’ failure to use life jackets was responsible for the deaths.

    Its Managing Director, Mr Olayinka Marinho, said: “The passengers failed to fasten their life jackets properly”

    He said that those who were rescued alive by LASWA’s rescue team had been taken to the General Hospital in Ikorodu for medical attention.

  • Boat mishap: Death toll rises to 10

    * Couple whose wedding is next weekend among
    * Two pregnant women, a small girl and five men died

    Death toll in Wednesday’s boat accident along the Ebute Aro-Ikorodu waterway Thursday  increased to 10 including a couple whose wedding has been fixed for next weekend.

    While the would-be-bride was identified in the morgue by relatives, her groom was said to be among the missing persons.

    Among the dead are two pregnant women, a teenage girl and five men. Also, a Toyota Corolla car with registration number APP259CN belonging to one of the missing persons was parked at the Bell Marine jetty in Ikorodu.

    According to an eyewitness, Mrs. Bunmi Abimbola who said she lost her N350,000 in the mishap, the boat was overloaded and the captain drove recklessly.

    She told The Nation that she was rescued by some fishermen after she has spent more than 30 minutes in the water.

    “I am not the only one who lost money, there was another woman who lost N1.2million. She was supposed to travel today.

    “What actually happened was that the boat was overloaded and over speeding. Ordinarily, the boats carry three people at the rear and one infront.

    “But because it is rush hour, this particular boat carried four people at the back and three infront. I was seated at the back and I complained.

    “I was shouting and telling the driver that what he did is wrong. But he did not listen. Then, when we took off, the driver was overspeeding.

    “I even told those infront to tell him to take it easy. Others told him but he refused to listen to us.

    “By the time we go to Iyana Oworo, the boat hit something and the wave was too much. We left Ebute Aro around 5:30pm.

    “So, that was how water filled the boat and it sank. It was after about 30 minutes that some fishermen, who were passing came to our rescue.
    “We saw our bags and properties being carried away by the water, we begged the fishermen to help us retrieve them but they refused.

    “I am a shoe seller and I went to Lagos Island to sell shoes. I have not been doing business for sometime because of my baby and I just resumed,” she said.

    According to Abimbola, over 25 people were onboard the boat and some of them are still trapped in the water.

    Efforts to reach the boat company through Ben Kalejaye to ascertain the exact number of passengers onboard proved abortive as calls made to his telephone number were unanswered.

    However, Southwest spokesman, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Ibrahim Farinloye said from all indications, Kalejaye’s earlier claim of 20 passengers onboard was unrealistic since two men-the would-be-groom and the car owner- were still missing.

    “It means the information by Mr. Ben Kalejaye that there were only 20 passengers onboard is not correct.

    “That means we are working onboard scenario of more people missing as attested by one of the survivors.

    “Relations of a couple who were to wed next weekend have just informed us that the couple were in the ill fated boat. The body of the wife was found in morgue while the husband is not found.

    “Two pregnant women, a small girl and five men died. Search for others continue,” he said.

  • Eight die in Lagos boat mishap

    EIGHT persons died yesterday in a boat mishap in Lagos.

    Two weeks ago, a canoe mishap claimed some lives in the Festac area of the state.

    Yesterday’s mishap it was learnt, occurred on the Ebute-Ero-Ikorodu waterway. There were 21 passengers on board.

    It was gathered that the disaster occurred between 6pm and 6:30pm as passengers were rushing back to Ikorodu from Ebute Ero.

    An eyewitness who spoke to our reporter on the telephone said the boat was overloaded.

    “I think there was a crack and after hitting a substance it opened and water gushed in and the boat sank.

    “Usually, during peak periods, the boat operators carry more than their capacity and the life jackets they use are either expired or not original,” said the witness.

    But National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Southwest spokesman, Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed that eight people died.

    He said: “According to first information, 28 boarded the boat.

    “The incident happened around 6pm but the information reached rescuers around 8pm.”

    Also yesterday, no fewer than seven persons sustained injuries following the collapse of a two-storey building in Lagos.

    The building, which is located at Toyota Street, off Kunsela Street, Elegunshi Lekki, was said to be under construction.

    Eyewitnesses said but for the fact that the labourers were all working infront, the building which caved-in partially from the rear would have resulted to fatalities.

    It was learnt that the injured were treated by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) and discharged immediately, since the injuries were minor.

    At the time of filing this report, the scene has been condoned off, with all the workers told to vacate the site.

    Officials of the state’s Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Police were on ground to manage the situation.

    When contacted, Director, State Fire Service, Rasaq Fadipe confirmed the incident but emphasised that no life was lost.

    “Some persons sustained minor injuries and have been treated and discharged. It was a partial building collapse and it happened at the rear.”

    “Those who got injured was as a result of people running for safety after they heard the noise caused by the collapse.

    “The premises has been condoned off and for now, we do not know the cause of the collapse,” he said.

  • ‘I don’t know if I’ll survive this’

    She fondled with her Muslim rosary and suddenly, she became absent-minded. From the corner of the room where she sat on a mat starring at sympathizers, it was obvious Mrs. Maimuna Mohammed, mother of two teenagers who died in the mishap was deeply hurt.

    Mrs. Mohammed, a widow and food vendor at Fourth Avenue had sent her children – Mustapha (12), and Saminu (10) – to carry the rice and beans she had prepared for sale.

    Less than 15 minutes later, a neighbour at her Cavera home came screaming, that the boat conveying her kids developed a fault and had gone missing.

    Hearing that, she fainted and was later revived. The woman, who could barely talk when The Nation visited, muttered: “I don’t know if I can survive this.”

    After several minutes of persuasion, Mrs. Maimuna who said she had three children, described the deceased as “very intelligent and helpful.”

    “They had just returned from school that day. As usual, they opted to carry some cooked food to the shop so I could follow them later with stew. I was pouring the stew when someone came and was shouting that the boat my children entered developed a fault and was missing. They brought out the corpses of my children around 9:45pm. This is too much for me,” she said.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials were at the scene yesterday. “We have suspended operations after we did not recover any other person. Although many said that some persons were still trapped, we have not been able to see anyone else,” said Ibrahim Farinloye, NEMA’s spokesman yesterday.

    In honour of the dead, the Amuwo Odofin council began a three-day mourning on Wednesday. It ends today.

  • The boat mishap was a horrible experience, says survivor

    The boat mishap was a horrible experience, says survivor

    One of the survivors of the FESTAC boat mishap, Daniel Peters, last night relived his experience to The Nation, describing it as a horrible experience.

    He narrated how he battled for his life underwater, amidst the terrible smell and trampling on him by other victims.

    He said in a phone interview: “I just thank God for my life, the situation was not funny. We were more than 24 on the boat. The load was just excessive. It was the last boat for the day and everyone rushed in.

    “I was returning from work when it happened. I work Swiss Bar and Lounge at Raji Rasak, FESTAC. As I was in the boat, suddenly, water started entering into the boat. At first it was like a joke but before we knew what was happening, the boat capsized. That was how we all fell under the water.

    “It was battle for survival. I know how to swim but other people were pressing me under water. So, I was gradually losing strength. But when it occurred to me that I was going to die if I did not act fast, I mustered energy and swam with my last strength. That was how the divers saw me and they came to my rescue.

    “We were seven in all that were rescued alive. Five men and two women, although the two women were not brought to the hospital with us. I do not know where they are or what happened to them. It was five of us, men, that were discharged from the hospital yesterday.”

  • PHOTOS: Lagos boat mishap

    PHOTOS: Lagos boat mishap

  • Three soldiers die in Bayelsa boat mishap

    The Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shied, mourned yesterday as three of its soldiers died in a boat mishap on Nembe waterways in Bayelsa State.

    It was learnt that the soldiers, who were attached to the Sector 2 Command of the JTF, drowned near Obiaku community when their boat capsized.

    The soldiers were said to be on “a routine change” when the boat capsized.

    Explaining a routine change, a top security source said the soldiers were on their way to take over duties from their colleagues at a security post in Nembe.

    “It is a normal thing. From time to time, new soldiers are detailed to replace other soldiers in any security post. That was the job the unfortunate soldiers were drafted to do.

    “The victims left Odioma in Brass Local Government for Nembe. They were close to their duty post when the incident occurred,” the source, who pleaded anonymity, said.

    Confirming that the soldiers were travelling on a commercial boat instead of a gunboat, the source, however, declined knowledge of the number of the boat’s occupants.

    But he said a captain, who was in charge of the troops, survived.

    While some people said the boat capsized because of overloading, the Media Coordinator, JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, blamed it on high tidal current along the river.

    Nwachukwu, who said the information about the incident was still sketchy, added that only one of the soldiers had been declared missing.

    He said: “Information reaching me confirmed that there was an unfortunate boat mishap caused by high tidal current along the river.

    “Rescue boats were despatched to salvage the situation. An operative was reportedly missing and search and rescue efforts are ongoing. Casualty details are not yet known”.

  • Italy’s boat accident death toll hits 232

    Italian divers have recovered dozens more bodies from a boat carrying African migrants that sank on Thursday, BBC reports.

    At least 38 bodies were freed from the hull, which divers had previously been unable to access. The official death toll now stands at 232.

    Divers “unpacked a wall of people”, a navy officer said, adding that corpses were “so entwined one with the other” they were difficult to pull out.

    The boat caught fire and capsized close to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.

    There were 155 survivors of the accident, which happened about 1km (half a mile) offshore.

    The operation to recover bodies from the hull was abandoned for the night, but will resume on Tuesday.

    Tens of thousands of migrants attempt the perilous crossing from North Africa to Sicily and other Italian islands each year, and accidents are common – but last week’s shipwreck was among the deadliest on record.

    The wreck is lying about 47m (155ft) below the surface, which means the recovery divers can only stay on the bottom for a short time.

    All the bodies around the ship and on deck have been brought to the surface, police say, however dozens more are thought to remain inside the vessel.

    “I’m sure that the most difficult part of the operation is starting now. Technically it will be much more challenging,” Coast Guard diver Rocco Pilon told Reuters news agency.