By AFP

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a capsized boat. (Photo by Isaac Kasamani / AFP)

Two people died and 14 are missing after a passenger boat capsized in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos, emergency officials said on Sunday.

“There were 16 passengers on board when the accident happened,” on Friday night, Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told AFP.

“Two bodies were recovered last night, while efforts are ongoing to search for the remaining passengers,” he said.

The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) also confirmed the accident.

“A W19 passenger Fibre boat carrying 16 people capsized along the Ojo area of the state,” LASWA area manager Sarat Braimah said.

“The boat … broke the waterways rules of late travelling by setting sail at 7.45 pm,” she said.

Braimah said the tide carried the boat towards a barge and caused it to overturn.

The passengers, including children, were not wearing life jackets.

She said rescue operators quickly mobilised following a distress call, adding “efforts are still ongoing to locate the victims”.

Boat accidents are common on Nigerian waterways mostly due to overcrowding and bad maintenance, particularly during the rainy season.

Two people were killed and 15 rescued on Wednesday when their boat capsized in the Ikorodu area of the city.