No fewer than 16 passengers are missing after the boat they boarded from Mile 2 en route Ibeshe in Ojo area of Lagos State reportedly capsized.

The incident reportedly occurred on Friday night.

The Area Manager, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Engr Sarat Braimah, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said the boat had been recovered, but search-and-rescue for the victims were ongoing.

According to her, the occupants contravened safety rules by not wearing reflective jackets before boarding.

She said, “At about 7.45p.m. today (yesterday), July 8, the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, and Lagos State 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 7.45pm.

“As it set out, the tide drifted the boat to a stationary barge which caused the boat to overturn.

“It is said that all passengers on board, which includes children, were not all putting on their life jackets.

“The Search and Rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), National Inland Waterways (NIWA) and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were immediately mobilized to the scene of the incident.

“But, unfortunately, they could only find the boat after several hours, while efforts are still ongoing to locate the victims.

“The boat is currently in the custody of Marine Police. The Boat Captain is also unaccounted for as at the time of this press release,” said the engineer.

The General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, Oluwadanilola Emmanuel, told Vanguard that search-and-rescue operation was ongoing at press time.