Politics
THE death toll in the oil tanker fire on Otedola Bridge end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos on Thursday, June 28, has risen to 12. Jide Idris, commissioner for Health in Lagos State, who announced the figure, said the government was set to conduct DNA tests to identify the dead bodies burnt beyond recognition
The commissioner in a press statement made available to Realnews said the victims of the accident were taken to three hospitals – Accident and Emergency Centre at Tollgate, the Trauma and Burns Centre at the Gbagada General Hospital, and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
Idris said seven patients were received at the facilities, adding that five of the victims, comprising four male and a female with varying degrees of burns, were taken to the Trauma and Burns Centre. “Unfortunately, we lost one of the patients, who had 90 percent burns. The remaining four victims are stable and responding to treatment.
“Additionally, two patients – a 48-year-old male with extensive burns, and a 42-year-old male with soft tissue injuries – were brought to the Burns and Plastic unit, LASUTH. One of them has been discharged, while the other person is responding to treatment,” he said.
Idris said from available statistics, 10 persons, including a minor, lost their lives to the fire as they were burnt beyond recognition, adding that the state government got reports of other survivors who were receiving treatment in some private hospitals.
He noted that of the two people receiving treatment in private hospitals, one of them had died to bring the total death arising from the accident to 12.
The commissioner urged private hospitals with patients from the accident to alert the government for proper collation. Idris also explained that the government decided to conduct the DNA test so that the right bodies could be handed over to the appropriate families for burial.
He said: “Samples would be taken from mothers or fathers of victims, children of victims, siblings of victims, uncles or aunts of victims. Such people should to go to the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre where their samples would be collected beginning from today till Friday.”
According to the commissioner the entire cost of treatment of the survivors and the DNA test would be borne by the state government.
– Jul. 3, 2018 @ 10:27 GMT |
Tags: LASG to conduct DNA tests Tanker fire death rises to 12
