EKO NEWS

Lax Enforcement Of Safety Measures Breeding Deaths On Lagos Waterways

Published

2 years ago

Jul 24, 2022.

A.A.S Opeyemi

Lax enforcement of safety measures breeding deaths on Lagos waterways
….The result of the investigation by LASWA on the July 6 accident was yet to be out when another boat capsized leading to the death of 16 people on July 8.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that a total of 18 people perished in two boat accidents in the Lagos State communities of Ikorodu and Mile 2 between July 6 and July 8.

The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) early inquiry indicated that the majority of the passengers were traveling without life jackets, despite the fact that the state government had requested an investigation into the most recent event in which at least 16 people died.

A statement by LASWA on the July 8 incident, said: “At about 7.45 pm on the 8th of July 2022, The Lagos State Waterways Authority and National Inland Waterways Authority received a distress call of an incident on the waterways. A W19 passenger fibre boat carrying 16 people capsized along the Ojo area of the state.

“The boat going from Mile 2 to Ibeshe in Ojo axis broke the waterways rules of late travelling by setting sail at 7 pm. As it set out, the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge, which caused the boat to overturn. It is said that all passengers on board, which include children were not all putting on their life jackets.”

In an earlier statement by LASWA’s on the July 6 mishap, the regulatory body said: “A 20-passenger ferry boat carrying 17 passengers named “R & N 2” suddenly capsized not more than 200 meters from the terminal and submerged immediately after it departed the Ipakodo Ferry Terminal, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State

“The water guards and the search and rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) were mobilised to the scene of the incident, leading to the rescue of 15 persons alive.

“While two female unconscious passengers were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment. They were, however, later confirmed dead at the hospital.

“The boat captain is currently being investigated by the relevant authorities, while a full investigation into the cause of this mishap is ongoing as of the time of this press release.”

The result of the investigation by LASWA on the July 6 accident was yet to be out when another boat capsized leading to the death of 16 people on July 8.

However, after LASWA found out that the affected passengers in the July 8 boat mishap were without lifejackets, even as the operator broke the late-night travel rule, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, ordered a comprehensive probe of the incident.

In a statement, Sanwo-Olu, who expressed sadness over the incident, commiserated with the families who lost their loved ones.

The statement added: “The police are probing what went wrong and treating the said incident as criminal. The boat, which is said to be unlicensed, obviously broke the waterways rules of ‘no night travel,’ and no overloading. Besides, not all of the passengers wore life jackets and the boat did not take off from a government-approved jetty.

“The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and others are assisting the investigators,” the statement added.

Sanwo-Olu maintained that anybody found to have contributed in any way to the tragedy would surely face the wrath of the law to ensure that they do not have any such incidents in the future.

“The waterways’ rules and regulations are clear; they must be respected in accordance with the greatest value that the Sanwo-Olu administration places on human life.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. May the Almighty strengthen them in these difficult times,” Sanwo-Olu stated

Although the state government and the appropriate agency claimed that only 16 persons died in the latest mishap, investigation revealed that 22 people died in the incident.

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This means that the boat operator, apart from violating the non-late night trip order, also had his boat overloaded, thereby breaching extant safety rules and regulations guiding waterways’ operations in the state.

With the Lagos traffic situation making vehicular movement cumbersome in most parts of the state and leading to the loss of several man-hours in transit, water transportation is increasingly becoming popular among residents of the state.

Viewed by many as a reasonably safe, fast, and stress-free means of commuting, how operators have thrown safety measures overboard, and the consequent loss of lives is now a major cause for concern.

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