Six teenagers have been declared missing after a boat capsized on Wednesday along the Ojo waterways in Lagos.
The canoe, which was said to be carrying 14 teenagers between ages 13 and 17, sank after a collision with a fibre boat at about 9am, at Irewe area in Ojo.
It was learnt that the fibre boat, which was on high speed, rammed into the canoe around 9am, causing the stick boat to sink.
The Nation gathered that nine persons including the paddler of the canoe were rescued by emergency workers, but the other six teenagers could not be located at the close of operations.
Confirming the development, General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Dr. Femi Oke-Osayintolu, said five of the nine rescued were taken to Igando General Hospital, while the other four including the canoe paddler were discharged after first aid.
He said the search for the other six would continue, adding that both local emergency workers and LASEMA personnel were on ground and would ensure the missing persons were found.
Asked if the boat was overloaded, the LASEMA boss said no, adding that the passengers were not putting on safety jackets.
“It was the fibre boat that ran into the canoe. It happened around 8am. We have rescued nine persons including the boat driver. The driver and four of the children were discharged after first aid because they were okay. We took the other five to the General Hospital Igando for treatment, while the search for the remaining six continues,” he said.
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