Okobe petrol fire: Six decomposing bodiesdiscovered in bush

… As death toll hits 143
PORT HARCOURT — Death toll from last Thursday's
fuel tanker explosion at Okogbe on the ever-busy
East West road in Ahoada West Local Government
of Rivers State has risen to 143 following the
discovery of six decomposing bodies, yesterday,
from the bush near the scene of the incident. The
death toll as at last Sunday was 137.
Rivers State Sector Commander of the Federal
Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Dr Kayode
Olagunju, however, said: "We are still battling with
the actual injury figures, as a lot of victims were
transferred from one hospital to the other, which
could result in multiple counting. Some victims
initially went home for traditional treatment while
others headed for some private clinics. We will
work with other agencies and the Rivers State
Government to collate the actual figures."
Meanwhile, Chief Medical Director of the
government-owned University of Port Harcourt
Teaching Hospital, Professor Aaron Ojule, has called
on relatives of victims being treated locally to move
them to the hospital for free treatment, adding that
some of the badly burnt victims might be flown
abroad for further treatment.
He said many of the survivors were being referred
to the teaching hospital from other hospitals and
centres, adding that a sub-committee had been put
in place to collate the actual figures of the victims
in order to know those who have died so far to
avoid confusion.