3 die, 17 rescued as boat capsizes on Badagry waterways

Three persons were drowned, while 17 others were rescued by Marine Police when a commercial boat capsized on Badagry waterways, Wednesday.

A police source said the boat took off from Liverpool in Lagos but capsized at Imoba near Ajido on Badagry waterways, following a mechanical problem.

According to the source, “As the boat stopped suddenly, it capsized, throwing all the passengers on board into the water. It was at this point that the Marine Police on waterways patrol came to rescue them. At the end of rescue operations, 17 passengers, including three children, were rescued while three of them died in the water.” 

He said two of the three dead bodies were retrieved for burial by the bereaved families after procuring affidavits from the Marine Police.

“Only one of the three corpses was deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital in Badagry.”

Dr Tunde Bakare, Medical Director of Badagry General Hospital, also confirmed that one corpse of the boat incident was deposited at the mortuary.

“We don’t know about the remaining two corpses but the only woman they brought was dead and  in the mortuary,” he said.

Contacted, Mrs Nkechi Ajayi, spokesperson for Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) said she was yet to be briefed on the incident. 

Culled from Vanguard