Two passengers were confirmed dead and another declared missing after a fishing boat capsized in Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos on Monday evening.
The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), which confirmed the incident, said that seven passengers, including two toddlers, were aboard the boat.
Four were rescued alive by responders.
Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, the head of LASWA, told reporters at the scene that the fishing boat was clearly operating outside its fishing capability and, therefore, not equipped with the necessary safety gadgets for the passenger ferry operation it undertook.
None of the passengers was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident, Emmanuel said, adding the boat’s occupants were all related and were heading to a relative’s funeral.
According to the official, an investigation has been launched into the incident, and a search operation for the remaining victim has commenced.
