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File picture: Gas Explosion
Two persons have been confirmed dead from the gas explosion which occurred at a refilling store in Orazi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State last Saturday.
Recall that the police said the explosion occurred when a technician who was repairing a faulty fridge tried to refill gas while he was welding at the same time, saying 18 persons were affected.
The Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Chizindu Alikor disclosed the death figure while answering questions from newsmen shortly after the State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju visited the wards where the victims were receiving treatment at the Hospital on Tuesday.
Alikor said 16 of the victims were brought to the facility, pointing out that they were effectively being managed with the support of the state government but that two of the victims did not make it.
He stated, “A sympathetic situation because we had 16 of the gas explosion victims brought in here. As a hospital with the full support of the Rivers State Government, we have been actively managing them.
“Though out of the 16, we have lost two, but the burns and plastic team with the support of the entire system is busy actively attending to the patients.”
On the degree of burns, the RSUTH CMD said he could not give details of his patients for ethical reasons but that the patients suffered varying degrees of burns’ adding that the Hospital management has been with the family of the victims all the while.
He said, “That’s quite professional and an ethical matter. We have them here, varying degrees of burns actively being attended to.
“We have been with the family, those who brought them and subsequently family members came in. We have encouraged them but more importantly we stood by them by way of ensuring that all that should be done for their loved ones with us here is being done.
“They completely understand us and they appreciate the efforts put in thus far. The entire state and the people out there just know that as a hospital with the support of the Rivers State Government we are actively attending to these patients as a result of the gas explosion.
“I think at the right time perhaps the appropriate agencies will tackle issues around safety viz-a viz gas plant management.”
On his part, CP Adepoju who sympathized with the victims, said his Area Commander in charge of the Oroazi community has also visited victims of the explosion in other hospitals.
While sympathising with the victims and their families, he described the incident as pathetic and commended the management of the Hospital for ensuring that they were given the attention they deserved.
Adepoju prayed that the surviving victims recover quickly and return to their families and advised residents of the state to be safety conscious when using gas cylinders
CP Adepoju stated, “It is very pathetic. Their situation is worrisome, in fact, you won’t want your enemy to be in that situation. The Hospital is trying, we have gone around they are really taking good care of them.
“We pray they recover in time. Burns is not something you pray for anybody to have. I think members of the public should be weary of retailers selling gas without following the due security and safety procedures which are very necessary.”
He emphasised that the relevant agencies should beam their searchlight on gas retailers, expressing sadness that passers-by and others were affected by the explosion, saying safety is everybody’s business.
“When you see such people trying to weld or retailers doing what they need to do with gas cylinders, they should be more careful, and probably inform the relevant agencies for intervention.
“I sympathize with their families and I want Rivers people to be as much as possible emphasise safety, safety should be number one in whatever they are doing especially when it has to do with the use of cylinders or cooking materials that have to do with gas in their houses.
“They should be extra careful because it can be very dangerous. And I think this should be a lesson to everyone and of course, take security very seriously.”
