Lagos recovers 7 corpses from capsized boat, warns of Hurricane Sandy

Nine of the eleven persons involved in the accident drowned.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Rural Development, Cornelius Ojelabi on Tuesday said that seven corpses had been recovered from the scene of Sunday’s canoe mishap at Imude in Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area of the state.

Mr. Ojelabi told newsmen in Ikeja that two people were also rescued alive during the mishap which involved 11 people.

The rescued victims are responding to treatment.

The commissioner told newsmen that the seven bodies recovered had been buried on Monday.

He said that the mishap was caused by the waves triggered by a bigger and powerful speed boat, which resulted in the canoe capsizing.

“It was the pressure from the speed boat that caused the canoe to capsize and not any natural disaster”, he said.

He assured the public that the state government would investigate the incident further to prevent future recurrence.

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Meanwhile, the Lagos state government has asked people living in the coastal areas to remain vigilant.

The State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure, Adesegun Oniru, who made this call at a news briefing in Ikeja, said the information was not to cause panic among the residents.

“The state is likely to experience ripple effects of the Hurricane which had affected parts of the Caribbean and the US within the next 14 days,’’ he said.

Oniru explained that the effect of the Hurricane could come in form of high waves and unexpected rise in the water level in the state.

The commissioner assured that the state government was putting everything in place to ensure that residents would not be badly affected.

He also advised Lagos residents to desist from blocking drainage channels and canals with refuse.