The Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Saturday confirmed that one person was injured as 15 others were rescued from a wooden boat which capsized at Grinaldi Port near Tin Can Island, Apapa, Lagos.
Independent gathered that the wooden boat conveying the passengers capsized near Niger Dock yard, located around Coconut Bus-Stop in Apapa.
Ibrahim Farinloye, spokesman for NEMA, while confirming the incident said that prompt response from officials of the agency, assisted by other people around led to the rescue of all the passengers.
Farinloye told our correspondent in a text message that waves generated when a bigger boat was passing near the wooden boat led to the capsizing of the small boat.
Independent checks revealed that from January till Saturday, March 12, 2016, a total of 10 persons may have been feared dead and 23 others rescued during boat mishaps which occurred in various parts of Lagos.
In February, three persons were feared dead when a boat mishap occurred around Iworo Ajido Road, near Arabian Bus-Stop in Badagry.
Director, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Michael Akindele, confirmed the incident, saying that the agency received the distressed call through the state’s emergency call number and immediately activated necessary emergency responders.
About a week later, a wooden boat conveying 20 passengers capsized at Ikorodu area, where seven persons were feared dead, while 13 were rescued by emergency agency officials.
In a statement made available to Independent, Farinloye said: “A wooden boat capsized at Grinaldi Port close to Tin Can Flyover Bridge, Coconut Bus Stop, Apapa, with 15 passengers on board.
“All passengers were rescued alive and only the driver of the boat sustained injury,” it stated.
It said the incident occurred at about 8.30p.m on Friday and that those rescued had gone to their different destinations.
Farinloye said that the injured driver refused to be treated, opting to treat himself in a private hospital.
He said Marine Police and other stakeholders were still investigating the cause of the accident.
