Authorities in Nigeria said that five people have gone missing after two boats collided on a river in Lagos state on the evening (local time) of Monday, October 7.
The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) confirmed that the incident occurred near the town of Imore at approximately 19:00 on Monday when the passenger boat Only God 13 and a wooden-hulled vessel collided with each other.
All 15 people who were on board Only God 13 were safely rescued while only five survivors have been recorded among the ten who were on the other vessel at the time of the incident.
Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, General Manager of LASWA, said that the five survivors from the wooden boat suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are being treated.
LASWA, the National Inland Waterways Authority, local police, and personnel from other partner agencies are continuing to search the waters off Imore for any trace of the five missing passengers.
Fatal maritime accidents in Nigeria, particularly in the country's more remote communities, have been attributed to regulatory lapses. Mishaps that resulted in death in these areas in recent years have reportedly been caused by factors such as overloading, lack of vessel maintenance, and failure to clear waterways of obstructions.
In 2024 alone, there have been at least nine prior fatal accidents involving passenger vessels throughout Nigeria. The combined death toll of these earlier accidents has already exceeded 60, a number that that does not include individuals who have been last reported as missing.