Fourteen people, including three brothers, were confirmed dead when a boat capsized in FESTAC Town area of Lagos State, on Tuesday.
The boat was conveying about 26 people from 4th Avenue across the canal to the 6th Avenue FESTAC Town when it capsized mid-way.
Seven people were reportedly rescued while five others were still missing yesterday.
One of the three brothers, Timothy, a Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS 1) student of FESTAC Grammar School was reportedly accompanied home by his two younger brothers (Joshua and Paul) who were in primary school when the accident occurred. The bodies of the children have been recovered.
The body of another man, Chijioke Okonkwo, 27, who hailed from Mbaise area of Imo State was also recovered from the canal.
His friend, Stanley told newsmen that Okonkwo was his roommate.
It was gathered that the accident occurred around 8.30 pm when people were watching the soccer match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
An eye witness who gave his name simply as Joseph said he would have boarded the boat to 6th Avenue but was about two seconds late when the boat took off.
Joseph claimed that he, and others, especially people who abandoned the match when they heard people screaming for help, rescued seven of the victims.
He said policemen led by the Area ‘E’ FESTAC commander and the divisional police officer of FESTAC, ACP Dan Okoro and CSP Shehu Alao respectively assisted in the rescue operation.
Joseph said the search for bodies was still continuing on Wednesday afternoon when security operatives sealed off the gate to the canal.
An official of Neighbourhood Watch, Ayoola Francis, who was amongst those left at the scene, said five people were still missing. He said a woman who swam out of the canal complained that she warned the boat operator that it was overloaded but he would not listen.
He said a victim of the boat mishap grabbed the cloth of the operator as he tried to swim to safety and the two drowned together.
