6 pupils dead, 8 rescued ...govt laments failure to use life jackets

The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has condemned the failure to use jackets after six pupils died in a boat accident yesterday.

Student Pulse gathered from reports that the students died after a motorized boat hit the fible boat that was conveying about 12 children and an adult to school within the Ebute Ojo waterways in Ojo LGA of Lagos.

While commiserating with the families of the deceased students, the Managing Director of LASWA, Yinka Marinho, said the agency responded to the accident around 8:30 am but was only able to rescue 8 while the others drowned.

“When we got there, we immediately tried to rescue those who were involved with the help of the local fishermen there," he said.

"We could rescue eight of the passengers and the six that were missing have been found, unfortunately, none survived."

Marinho said none of those aboard the boats used life jackets.

According to him, LASWA had from 2012 distributed about 3500 life jackets from Badagry to Epe area, with 360 of them in the particular area that suffered the mishap.

“All these life jackets we distributed were done to forestall these incidences, we don’t understand why people fail to wear life jackets, but we would continue to strive to ensure that the safety of the waterways is paramount,” he said.

Marinho revealed that a further 2400 life jackets would be distributed within the next few months, adding that the captain of the speed boat had been arrested and would be prosecuted.