Passengers rescued alive as boat catches fire in Lagos

Many passengers were rescued alive after a passenger boat named Oyebola Marine caught fire at the loading point in Ikorodu ferry terminal early morning of Thursday in Lagos.

In a statement signed by the management of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), the fire broke out due to an electrical spark from the boat ignition when the boat Captain and Deckhand were infusing fuel into the boat engine.

According to the LASWA statement, “At about 8.46 am today, 9th of November 2023, a commercial passenger boat named Oyebola Marine caught fire at the loading point in Ikorodu ferry terminal.

“The fire incident occurred due to an electrical spark from the boat ignition when the boat Captain and Deckhand were infusing fuel into the boat engine.

“All passengers onboard this boat were rescued alive with the combined efforts of Ikorodu Ferry Terminal Staff, LASWA officials, and several boat operators present at the scene.

“The rescue team was able to put off this inferno using the terminal hall fire extinguishers.

“The affected passengers were attended to by medical personnel at the jetty. Few of the affected passengers were able to continue their journey while several others had to return home.

“Some of the affected passengers are currently assisting LASWA with further information on this unfortunate incident.

“LASWA has also identified some gaps and areas of improvement from all stakeholders including itself to enable such occurrences be reduced to its barest minimum.”

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