Three pipeline inferno victims die in Enugu
From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu
THREE victims of last Thursday's oil pipeline fire incident at Agbani in Nkanu-West Local Council of Enugu State died at the weekend.
Authorities of the National Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH), Enugu, where the victims were rushed to for treatment confirmed the deaths, adding that the other victims were on danger list.
The Guardian learnt that the deceased, Mr. Michael Nwobodo (a farmer) and two of his daughters, Amuche and Gift, died between Friday and Sunday following high-degree burns sustained in the inferno which was caused by vandalisation of oil pipelines at Agbani.
Tragedy had struck at Ogbete Village, a suburb of Agbani, home-town of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani last Thursday, when several persons who were scooping fuel from a vandalised oil pipeline were severely burnt by fire from the pipeline. Some had escaped with injuries while several whose conditions were critical were rushed to the NOH in Enugu.
Confirming the deaths of the three victims, the Assistant Director of Nursing at the hospital, Mrs. Mabel Olisakwe, said that Amuche gave up the ghost on Friday while Nwobodo and Gift died on Sunday, describing the development as "very pathetic".
Olisakwe, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital who was said to be away to Abuja for a meeting, said that the remaining four now being treated at the Traumatology Unit of the hospital include a 20-year-old farmer, Mr. Nnabuike Edeh, Mr. Chinwendu Aneke (20), Mrs. Agatha Ogbu and Miss Faith Nwobodo, another daughter of the deceased, Michael.
She said the hospital was facing serious difficulties in handling their cases because of inadequate facilities.
Her words: "They were brought in and unfortunately, they came with nothing and the hospital has been managing to give them treatment. We have been doing our best but you see, they were badly burnt.
"Some have 98 per cent burns. It is terrible. We just wish that the government will come to their aid and help us because we are already getting dried up in all areas.
"The materials we use in dressing them are getting out of stock and so much will be required to cover the entire wound and the pharmacy department has to give the drugs they require. They also need blood and we need people to come and donate blood to them".
The assistant director continued: "We have already lost three of them that were badly burnt. We kept these people in the Trauma Ward. Ordinarily, they are not supposed to be there because of their condition, but we have to do this because our Regional Burn Centre is still under construction. We hope that government will help to complete this centre which is the first of its kind in this sub-region. It will help so much to solve some of these burn cases".
She, however, expressed the hope that immediate attention and help should come from the government or individuals.
She said: "There is the possibility of the remaining four being rescued even though their condition is deteriorating daily".
On what it takes to effectively handle the treatment of the four victims, the assistant director of nursing explained that each of them would require about N200,000, lamenting, however, that the money was not forthcoming as the victims were lying helplessly and unable to foot their bills.
"Most of the relations of these victims are yet to show up. The Chief Medical Director, Dr. Uche Achebe, had directed that we empty our pharmacy to ensure that they are well taken care of but our stock is already exhausted. Drugs for treating burns are very expensive. To dress one burn case a day will require as much s N5,000 but these things cover their entire body. Each require at least two jars of flamazin, which they cannot for now afford", she said.
Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged on the vandalisation of the Petroleum Products and Marketing Company (PPMC) pipelines at Agbani.
It was learnt that the vandals who drilled valves into the pipes had before the ugly incident scooped several litres of kerosene from the scene, but on noticing the flow of petrol last Wednesday night, loaded several tankers with fuel which apparently attracted the villagers who rushed to the scene with lanterns to scoop the product.
It was learnt that the business turned sour as one of their lanterns reportedly ignited the highly inflammable liquid that caught several of them, burning them beyond recognition.
However, two of the victims, Faith Nwobodo, whose father and two sisters had died from the burns and Mr. Nnabuike Edeh, denied scooping fuel from the vandalised pipes, claiming that they were caught up by the fire while going to their farms that fateful day.
