Lagos: Flood claims two lives, as NEMA recovers 2 bodies from capsized boat accident

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has declared two persons missing in the aftermath of the flooding resulting from heavy rains in Lagos State, Saturday.

This is also as the agency said its officials have recovered the bodies of two passengers who died in a boat accident which occurred when a commercial passenger speed boat capsized in the Ojo area of the state, Friday night.

Also confirming the incident,

Confirming the incident, Saturday, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service via its verified Twitter handle (@LagosRescue), said: “The public should be informed that the Accura car eventually got trapped by 08:09hrs Saturday at Oyatoki Canal by Shoretire Street, Oko Oba-Agege, Lagos.

“However, it was rescued by the Agege Fire Crew of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service…”

According to NEMA, at least two persons are still missing while three others were rescued on Saturday after their cars were swept away by flood near the Oyatoki Canal by Shoretire Street, Oko-Oba in Agege area of Lagos.

A statement confirming the incident, Saturday, the Zonal Coordinator, South-West, NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said the incident involved two vehicles; a Toyota Lexus SUV carrying three persons and another Acura-branded car with three occupants.

Farinloye said six persons were reported to have been swept away when rainwater overflowed an uncompleted canal in the area.

“The residents reportedly warned the people in the vehicles to desist from passing through the road but they were adamant but drove through, and they were swept away,” he said.

“One of the people in the Toyota refused to drop down from the vehicle, the other two drove, and they are the only ones missing presently.

“All together, three rescued alive, one jumped out to safety, while the remaining two are missing.”

Farinloye said the emergency responders on the ground include the Lagos State Fire Service, NEMA, LASEMA, police and other responders from the community.

“Search and rescue operations are ongoing in search of the other two persons,” he added.

“The community members are mobilised due to the fact that they know the terrain of the canal and successfully rescued the four persons.”

Meanwhile, NEMA, Saturday, disclosed that emergency responders recovered the bodies of a 52-year-old male and 20-year-old female, believed to be victims of boat accident in Lagos.

Farinloye, who also confirmed the development, Saturday in Lagos, said the accident involved a W19 passenger Fibre boat carrying 16 people, which capsized along the Ojo waterinthe state, at about 7.45 pm on Friday.

NEMA said the boat, which took off from Mile 2 to Ibeshe in Ojo axis, capsized while operating at night against the inland waterways rules.

“It was found out that the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge, which caused it to overturn.

“Marine Police, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and volunteers swung into action in trying to rescue some of the victims, but to no avail.

“It cannot be confirmed if all the passengers including the captain were wearing life jackets, but some people claimed some of them were wearing their life jackets which may not be effective.

“Recovery operations are still ongoing”, Farinloye said in an update on the incident.