By Umaru Fofana
The death toll from the 5 November fuel tanker accident at Wellington has risen steadily to 144.
According to ministry of health data obtained by Politico over the weekend, 60 of that number died while receiving treatment in hospital, stressing the high degree of burns they had suffered.
The other 84 died at the scene or on their way to hospital.
57 others are still receiving treatment at five hospitals namely Connaught (29), Emergency (8), 34 military hospital (10), Choithram (6) and Rokupa (4). Of that number 11 are said to be in a critical condition – five at Connaught, three at Emergency, two at 34 and one at Choithram.
41 other patients have been discharged among them 30 from Connaught, six from Emergency and five from Rokupa.
22 vehicles, 48 motorbikes, and 3 tricycles were destroyed by the fire
Preliminary analysis of some of 147 victims (both deceased and injured) shows that 112 of them are male and 35 are female. Only 85 have their ages recorded with the median age being 25 years.
The fire incident happened after an explosion followed a road traffic accident along the Bai Bureh Road at Wellington. A truck carrying granite rammed into a petrol tanker that was apparently making a U-turn at the PMB Junction between 9:00 and 10:00 PM.
The force led to a leakage of petrol which some people in the area started scooping, leading to a traffic holdup in the area which is the artery linking Freetown and the countryside. The explosion led to fireballs that turned the night sky into a yellow envelop.
Many of those who died were those caught up in traffic. 75 of the bodies so badly burned that they could not be identified and were laid to rest at a mass burial ceremony presided over by President Julius Maada Bio on 8 November.
Copyright © Politico Online 15/11/21
