Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Death toll in Abuja bomb blast hits 75

Bomb-Blast• No mass burial for victims
• NEMA introduces emergency lines
THERE was fresh disclosure Tuesday that the number of persons who died from the Monday Nyanya Bus Terminal Abuja blast has risen to 75 up from the initial 72 deaths recorded by officials, according to the Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu.
But the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Tuesday confirmed that death toll has increased to 72 persons while number of injured victims scaled up to 133
The agency also disclosed that it has activated its information desk, which works round the clock, located on the second floor of National Headquarters building, and the agency can be contacted on 080320035335 or 09-290577.
Prof. Chukwu said in Abuja yesterday that the total number of persons affected had been reviewed downwards to 215 as against the initial 236 released on Monday.
He said: “We were talking of 236, but now it is 215 because there might have been some double counting. But now, we know better. But what has increased is the casualty figure because we talked of 72 yesterday.
“At this moment, we have 75 as those who are dead. So, you have 215 as total but out of the 215, 75 are dead. So, that is the current figures.”
The minister spoke as he visited the hospitals where the dead and living were kept.
On the number of deaths that might have increased between Monday and today, he said: “Yes, when we released the figures yesterday, we made it clear that it was provisional. It took us quite a long time for us to even release a provisional figure, but finally late last evening when we released those figures, we still issued a caveat that they are provisional because sometimes there may be double counting and sometimes there might be people who were not counted.
“Now currently, having taken everybody into consideration, including the movement of people, some new deaths since then, what we have now is that those who have been able to be evacuated and captured in hospitals because if someone just have a spinal injury and walked away, it is possible we did not capture that.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria is expanding its capacity in the management of traumas in the country.

Chukwu, who made the revelation yesterday, said: “The patter of diseases is changing. That is why we have been doing things as government to also increase the capacity for trauma. As you are aware, the addition trauma facility at the hospital is ready and even used a bit of it yesterday but it will be properly commissioned in the next few days.
He said pathologists were working on the bodies that were dismembered, noting that the process may not be very easy.
He said: “The pathologists are working hard on that. When you have pieces of flesh and meat here and there, they need to be properly sorted out. Sometimes it is not as easy as people may think. So, as at this time, I may not be able to give this information. By the time pathologists are through, obviously we may have to revise the mortality figure. It will come. So, I plead with you to be patient and let us do it properly.”
He said the bodies identified by the pathologists would be released to the families, while those whose bodies could not be identified may be given mass burial.
“Government will not do mass burial. We have already started identifying along with relatives and we are going to do other things that pathologists normally do, including DNA. Everybody must be identified, except where nobody or no relative comes, we will then bury them decently,” he added.
NEMA Director-General, Mohammad Sani-Sidi while confirming the figure during a media briefing yesterday in Abuja, disclosed that a report received from one of the hospitals yesterday confirmed the loss of one of the victims, bringing the total to 72 deaths.
He added that information from the hospitals authenticated that most of the victims have been stabilised, while some have been released to their families. He, however, noted that appropriate arrangement was being made by hospitals and other relevant organisations for families of those that lost there loved ones to claim their remains.
Disclosing that some of the victims were still in critical condition, the DG urged members of the public to donate blood at these hospitals: Asokoro General Hospital, Asokoro; Maitama District Hospital, Maitama; Wuse General Hospital Zone 3; Garki Hospital, Garki; Nyanyan General Hospital, Abuja; National Hospital, Abuja; Nigeria Customs Service Staff Clinic, Karu; Abuja Clinic, Karu; Nasarawa State Medical Centre, Mararaba and Pan Raff Hospital, Nyanya Phase 4.
Condoling with families of victims who lost there loved ones, he assured of full compliance with the presidential directives on the medical treatment of the injured persons. President Jonathan who visited the site of the incident and victims in some of the hospitals had directed NEMA to collaborate with Federal Ministry of Health and hospital management authorities in settling the medical bills and ensuring speedy recovery for the affected persons.
Sani-Sidi also disclosed that DNA test would be conducted for some of the deaths that were burnt beyond recognition and their remains handed to their families as appropriate.
He, however, called on citizens to be extra vigilant and report every suspicious movement or element to the security agencies, and render maximum support to the emergency responders.
Regretting that the emergency alerting system in the country was very poor as response time is very critical in any rescue effort, he said government is making very critical effort in activating the three-digital emergency line. He assured that if the alerting system in the country were enhanced, the response time would also improve.

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