By Olasunkanmi Akoni and Monsuru Olowoopejo

Tragedies struck  in the early hours of yesterday in Lagos  when a  passenger boat capsized in Ikorodu Local Government area, killing three persons and 17 others rescued.

In another incident, two persons died and scores sustained different degrees of injury when a three storey  building in Ojora area of the state collapsed on it’s   occupants.

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In the boat mishap, it was gathered that the 20- passenger-boat ran into a  submerged object and capzised mid-sea  around  Oke-Ira Nla  while heading to Bayeiku area of Ikorodu.

Eyewitnesses  narrated that the mishap, which occurred at about 12:15pm, could have claimed more lives but for the  life jackets the passengers  were having on them. 17 passengers were  rescued.

Confirming the tragedy, the General Manager of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr. Damilola Emmanuel, said all passengers were wearing  life jackets but casualty could have been as a result of fear or shock.

He confirmed three persons  dead while 17 persons were rescued alive.

Collapsed building

On the collapsed building, residents disclosed that the structure  in Ijora Badia, Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area, LCDA, went down  during  a  heavy rainfall across the state at about 8.30 am.

It was learned that the building located on Amosu Street had already been abandoned by the owner for several months.

According to residents, as a result of the abandonment, the building started dilapidating and occupied by normads.

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Residents said some persons of northern extraction occupied it  even after they were warned to leave.

At press time, men of the fire fighter and emergency rescue team of the Lagos State Emergecy Authority, LASEMA, who arrived the scene, were on ground to rescue any other likely person (s) trapped in the rubble.