8 die in boat mishap in Lagos

Eight persons were feared drowned on Tuesday when a commercial boat capsized at the Apapa area of Lagos State. It gathered that the boat was conveying about 19 passengers from Sagbokoji village was heading towards the Lagoon area of Apapa, when the tragedy occurred.

Sources stated that few minutes after the boat left the village, it reportedly developed a technical fault and some of the passengers who sensed danger, plunged into the river and swam back to the village to alert other boat operators.
But before the operators arrived at the scene, the boat had capsized. Local divers and the operators were said to have managed to rescue nine persons including an 11-year-old girl who was on her way to sell dried fishes.
When contacted, the Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Damasus Ozoani, confirmed the incident, adding that information at his disposal showed that only two persons were suspected to have drowned while seven persons were rescued
Ozuani said rescue operation by operatives of the Marine Police was still on as at press time.

Culled from The Sun