The crashes usually occurred at quarterly or yearly intervals and in
most cases, heavy duty vehicles fully loaded with goods usually
developed brake failures and end up with disastrous consequences.
However, this particular incident of Sunday, May 31,
2015, appeared to have turned the most tragic among similar incidents in
the previous years as the number of casualties ranged between seven and
18 as the case may be.
But to the chagrin of all and sundry, this latest fuel tanker carnage claimed up to 70 lives at a stretch, according to the figures released on the spot by both the officials of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, NRCS, and the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC.
The NRCS and FRSC officials were among those who joined hands with the police and other security agencies in carrying out both rescue operations and evacuation of the deceased and injured ones to different hospitals and morgues for depositing and medical attention.
Although, the management of Onitsha General Hospital quoted its own casualty figure as only 43, eye-witnesses and survivors said the figure was even more than the 70. The Chief Consultant-In-Charge of Onitsha General Hospital, Dr. Mercy Ebelechukwu had stated that contrary to the 69 and 70 casualty figures quoted by voluntary agencies, the correct figure of the dead stood at 43, while only six were injured.
According to her, 22 corpses were brought to the General Hospital morgue on the fateful day, while 20 other corpses remained at Toronto hospital morgue, adding that out of the seven injured ones, one more died on the way to Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Awka and the corpse was brought back to General Hospital morgue bringing the number of corpses at the General Hospital Morgue to 23.
She further explained that out of the 20 corpses deposited at Toronto Hospital morgue, 12 were moved to General Hospital morgue to bring the total figure now to 35, while the remaining eight were still in the Toronto morgue, adding that out of the remaining six injured ones at Toronto, one was transferred to Awka Teaching Hospital, apart from three other injured ones who were rushed to Menax private hospital, out of which one had been discharged.
She expressed the fear that the situation might lead to mass burial because most of the corpses were burnt beyond recognition and as a result, they had already started decomposing to the extent that if more time was wasted, there could be an out-break of epidemic, in spite of the chemical contents being poured on the corpses to curtail the odor.
The Chief Medical Director of Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, Dr. Emeka Eze, attributed the high death-toll during the fuel tanker incident to stampede.
Speaking when the leader of Progressives People’s Alliance, PPA, in the State, Chief Godwin Ezeemo, led a delegation of his party to the hospital to sympathize with victims hospitalized there, Dr. Eze added that there were still corpses, to be claimed by their relations which could not be easily identified.
Eze, who noted that state government had sent pathologists take samples of the dead, added that the prompt intervention of both the Federal and state governments when the incident occurred, showed that the present leaders had the interest of their people at heart.
He also attributed burns to the increase in the death-toll, adding, “we have isolated the victims. They would have died if not that we isolated them. We heat up the rooms where they are kept because they have no skin in them and feel cold.” Responding Ezeemo said he felt bad when he heard of the incident and resolved to come and sympathize with some of the survivors.
But to the chagrin of all and sundry, this latest fuel tanker carnage claimed up to 70 lives at a stretch, according to the figures released on the spot by both the officials of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, NRCS, and the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC.
The NRCS and FRSC officials were among those who joined hands with the police and other security agencies in carrying out both rescue operations and evacuation of the deceased and injured ones to different hospitals and morgues for depositing and medical attention.
Although, the management of Onitsha General Hospital quoted its own casualty figure as only 43, eye-witnesses and survivors said the figure was even more than the 70. The Chief Consultant-In-Charge of Onitsha General Hospital, Dr. Mercy Ebelechukwu had stated that contrary to the 69 and 70 casualty figures quoted by voluntary agencies, the correct figure of the dead stood at 43, while only six were injured.
According to her, 22 corpses were brought to the General Hospital morgue on the fateful day, while 20 other corpses remained at Toronto hospital morgue, adding that out of the seven injured ones, one more died on the way to Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Awka and the corpse was brought back to General Hospital morgue bringing the number of corpses at the General Hospital Morgue to 23.
She further explained that out of the 20 corpses deposited at Toronto Hospital morgue, 12 were moved to General Hospital morgue to bring the total figure now to 35, while the remaining eight were still in the Toronto morgue, adding that out of the remaining six injured ones at Toronto, one was transferred to Awka Teaching Hospital, apart from three other injured ones who were rushed to Menax private hospital, out of which one had been discharged.
She expressed the fear that the situation might lead to mass burial because most of the corpses were burnt beyond recognition and as a result, they had already started decomposing to the extent that if more time was wasted, there could be an out-break of epidemic, in spite of the chemical contents being poured on the corpses to curtail the odor.
The Chief Medical Director of Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, Dr. Emeka Eze, attributed the high death-toll during the fuel tanker incident to stampede.
Speaking when the leader of Progressives People’s Alliance, PPA, in the State, Chief Godwin Ezeemo, led a delegation of his party to the hospital to sympathize with victims hospitalized there, Dr. Eze added that there were still corpses, to be claimed by their relations which could not be easily identified.
Eze, who noted that state government had sent pathologists take samples of the dead, added that the prompt intervention of both the Federal and state governments when the incident occurred, showed that the present leaders had the interest of their people at heart.
He also attributed burns to the increase in the death-toll, adding, “we have isolated the victims. They would have died if not that we isolated them. We heat up the rooms where they are kept because they have no skin in them and feel cold.” Responding Ezeemo said he felt bad when he heard of the incident and resolved to come and sympathize with some of the survivors.
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