2nd July, 2018
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Death toll in last Thursday’s oil tanker explosion on Otedola Bridge, inward Berger area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, has hit 12, even as the Lagos State Government is set to conduct DNA test to identify dead bodies that were burnt beyond recognition.
Earlier, nine dead bodies burnt beyond recognition were reported, but the Lagos State Government on Monday said the death arising from the tanker explosion has reached 12.
Commissioner for Heath, Dr. Jide Idris, at a news conference said the victims of the accident were swiftly taken to three hospitals-Accident and Emergency Centre at Tollgate, the Trauma and Burns Centre at Gbagada General Hospital and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, for proper treatment.
He said seven patients were received at the facilities, adding that five of the victims, comprising four male and a female were taken to the Trauma and Burns Centre, with varying degrees of burns.
“Unfortunately, we lost one of the patients who had 90 percent burns. The remaining four victims who had burns ranging between 8 percent and 48 percent burns are stable and responding to treatment. Additionally, two patients; a 48-year old male who also presented 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 stable and responding to treatment,” he said.
According to Idris, from available statistics, 10 persons, including a minor, lost their lives to the inferno, as they were burnt beyond recognition, adding that “we also have received reports of some other survivors who are receiving treatment in some private hospitals.”
He said of the two people receiving treatment in private hospitals, one of them has died so far, bring the total death arising from the accident to 12.
The commissioner requested that any private hospital who had patients from the accident should provide such information to the Ministry of Health for proper collation.
As required for proper identification of the bodies, Idris disclosed that the government would be conducting DNA Forensic studies so that the right bodies could be handed over to the appropriate families for proper burial, explaining that this entailed obtaining samples from very close relations of these victims and matching these with samples taken from the charred remains.
He said samples would be taken from mother/father of victim, child of victim, sibling of victim and uncle or aunt of victim, while urging such people to go to the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre where their samples would be collected beginning from today till Friday between 10.00am and 3.00pm or that they should contact the head of the centre, Dr. Somiari on 08075537342.
“At the same time, our pathologist would commence the necessary autopsies on the victims starting from tomorrow. An estimate of about 2-3 weeks from the time the samples are received would be needed to complete the DNA process, results would be interpreted and bodies properly tagged. Thereafter, death certificates would be issued to the confirmed family members,” he said.
Idris also said that the entire cost of management and treatment of the surviving victims and DNA Forensics for the dead and their families would be borne by the state government.