Fuel tanker explosion: We lost 191 people –Traditional ruler
. No it’s 133 –Govt official
Photo:
Sun News Publishing
Date:
Wed, 07/18/2012 - 23:46
Death toll from last week’s tanker explosion at Okogbe community in
Ahoada Local Government Area of Rivers State has risen to over 191
according to the paramount ruler of Okogbe community, Eze Joshua Eyiba.
However, a government official, who doesn’t want his name in the print
said casualty figure as at Monday, July 16, 2012, was 133.
Daily Sun gathered that, recent deaths were recorded at Ahoada General
Hospital, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical
Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Some of them who were also taken to
Herbal Homes for traditional treatment could not make it, as they also
gave up the ghost.
Meanwhile, the hope of the affected communities getting relief materials
from the Federal Government had been dashed, as the materials were
meant for the victims.
When Daily Sun visited some of the communities last week, some of the
residents said they heard over the radio that the Federal Government had
sent relief materials to the affected communities and were expectant of
them.
But when the Daily Sun contacted the South-South zonal Coordinator of
the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Umesi Emenike, over
the communities’ expectations, he said the relief materials were only
for victims of the explosion.
He said it was erroneous for anybody to think that the relief materials
were for members of communities.
According to him, many communities, comprising various tribes in
Nigeria, were also affected by the incident.
“It did not affect only one community, the relief materials are strictly
for those who are hospitalized. We have Igbo community, Hausa
community, Yoruba community that were affected; do you expect us to
also send relief materials to all of them?
He disclosed that the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital
(UPTH), was the coordinating hospital. According to him, UPTH was
given the responsibility of giving the relief materials to other
hospitals, where the victims were receiving treatments. He said the duty
of the Federal Government was to save lives of affected persons and not
to distribute relief materials to those who were not victims.
