By Laurina B. Lormia
(Intern)
Several residents of Totota Township, lower Bong County, are reportedly feared dead, following the explosion of a 9,000-gallon fuel tanker in the aftermath of an accident, while heading to Gbarnga from Monrovia on Tuesday, December 26.
According to eyewitnesses, when the accident took place nobody got injured or killed but some motorcyclists and community dealers took advantage of the situation by illegally collecting gasoline from the tanker, using gallons and sponges.
The Police Commander in Totota Township and others allegedly decided to use electric batons to disperse the crowd from the tanker, because of the danger it posed, but the crowd remained stubborn.
The flammable gasoline tanker had just dropped within the vicinity and apparently its engine was not off yet couple with the razing sun, burst into flames several minutes after thereby killing several people, including the Police Commander and other officers who had gone as a rapid safety respond team.
“When the tanker turned over, people came from all over; some were monitoring the gas spilling but others saw it as an opportunity to loot,” an eye witness explained.
In no time, the tanker caught fire and many people could not escape the blast, but some went running with flames of fire on them,” the eyewitness narrated, adding, “The victims could not escape the fire because they came in close contact with the gasoline. The fire caught most of the victims because the gas was on them. I do not believe that many of those people will survive, but if some do, they will suffer severe burns.”
As news coming in said the deceased have been buried in a mass grave, the State-owned broadcaster (ELBC), reported that both the dead (burned beyond recognition) and those critical, have been contained at the Phebe and the Ganta United Methodist Hospitals in Bong and Nimba Counties.
It is being reported that at least 27 persons with severe burns or nearing death are on admission at both the 14 Military and JFK Hospitals, having been transported to Monrovia from Totata on Tuesday night, following the incident.
Phebe Hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Gblaroe, told the media that the hospital received over 81 victims from the incident, some of whom were dead, severely burnt beyond recognition and could only be identified by their skulls and rib-bones.
He added, “Being that the Phebe Hospital could not cope with the situation, many of the victims were transported to the Ganta United Methodist, 14 Military, and the John F. Kennedy Hospitals.”
Gblaroe, paid tribute to Bong County’s lawmakers, Senaor-elect Johnny Kpehe, and Representative-elect Moima Briggs-Mensah for making available their private vehicles because they were overwhelmed by the number of victims, adding that the number received could rise up to 200.
“Others in critical conditions were taken into their private homes in Totota and were not transported to Phebe. Therefore, the possibility of the death toll rising is high,” he disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Phebe Hospital is overwhelmed by emergency cases and the hospital administration has begun making SoS calls to the public for essential medical drugs and supplies needed including examination gloves, anti-biotics, fluids, metro infusion, Omeprazole, and analgesics (pain killers).
Others are surgical gloves, Dextrose 50 percent (D-50%), IV tubing, cannula 18g and 20g, 10ml and 5ml syringes, gauze rolls and pads, and zig needles.
It remains to be seen how the story unfolds and the exact number of casualties sustained, but this tragic occurrence is sure to cause many people, especially those directly affected, and their loved ones, to end the year on a sour note.
