Rescue officials have reported that five people survived the capsized boat conveying about 24 passengers in Festac.
A
total of 13 bodies most of whom were hurrying to watch Tuesday night’s
European Champions League football games, lost their lives in the
accident which occurred at about 7.45 p.m have been recovered even though conflicting reports states that 14 bodies were recovered.
Six bodies were still missing as divers frantically searched the
depths of the dark, murky river till 12 noon Wednesday, while the
recovered corpses had been deposited at the Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital.
“We got the alert late,” said Ibrahim Farinloye, South-West
spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, who
noted that they received a distress alert at 11.10 p.m. See more after the jump.................
“But fortunately, the locals assisted by recovering about 13 bodies.
11 males and two females, including a girl of less than 10 years,” Mr.
Farinloye added.
Residents say that the boat, which ferries people from 4th Avenue to
the nearby 6th Avenue, a distance of less than 50 yards across the
water, has a capacity for 17 passengers.
But on the ill-fated trip, at least 24 people crowded themselves on
the boat as some of the young men hurried to the football viewing centre
at 41 Road, 4th Avenue.
“They refused to come down. One small girl was shouting that if the
boat turns, she would swim out,” said David Mark, a resident who said he
was waiting on the queue when the mishap occurred.
“When the boat got to the middle, it began to shake and the people
were shouting, before you know it, the boat turned down. That small girl
survived,” Mr. Mark added.
Families and relatives of victims wore long faces as they waited for news of the yet to be recovered bodies.
Osaro Okunbor, who lost his 26 year old younger brother, Uyi, said
that they were told to see the local government officials before the
corpse would be released to them.
“He (Uyi) left home at about 5 o’clock yesterday. I had a call at
about 11 o’clock that my brother is somewhere. I got there and saw the
corpse on the ground,” Mr. Okunbor said.
“I’m not myself. Even my family, my mother, my father they are all
worried. This kind of thing has never happened to me before,” he added.
Furious residents vented their frustration at government officials
present for their failure to construct a pedestrian bridge, “even a
wooden one,” for them.
PREMIUM TIMES checks showed that while commercial motorcyclists
charge N150 from 4th Avenue to 6th Avenue, crossing via a boat, which is
a much shorter route, costs N10.
“It was the church people that built the old bridge but it spoilt
since three years ago. Some people wanted to build another one but
government refused, saying it’s their job,” said Mr. Mark.
Several residents corroborated Mr. Mark’s claims that the local
government authorities stopped interested people from constructing a new
pedestrian bridge along the water way.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Amuwo Odofin local government
authorities were unsuccessful as officials present said that only the
council chairman, Ayodele Adewale, could respond to the claims.
Mr. Adewale was not immediately available for comments.
But a witness said he, along with officials of the Lagos State
Emergency Management Agency, visited the scene on Tuesday night where he
removed his cap and wept.
“I count almost 11 boys and one girl, dem dead. Even one of my
brother, Chukwuebuka, follow them. E dey mortuary now. He is 25. E say e
wan go watch match for 401 (Road),” said Anthony Okakwu,
who accompanied the corpses to the mortuary early Wednesday morning.
Mr. Farinloye said that the actual number of people in the boat could
not be ascertained but the divers would continue their search.
One of the divers said that chances of recovering another body would increase when the sun goes down.
Periodically, a boat containing half a dozen bare-chested divers
would pull into the river and the men would leap into the dark water and
disappear for a few minutes before resurfacing.
And a diver standing ashore would gargle a shot of dry gin and spray
it into the air, infuriating the government officials and journalists
present.
One of them said it’s a ritual so that the water “doesn’t take another person,” in this case, one of the divers.
“It’s a normal routine. The water dey vex,” he added.
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