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From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Two more persons have been confirmed dead as a result of a fire outbreak at Linc Oil and Gas depot in Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) axis in Esuk Utan community in Calabar, Cross River State, at the weekend.
This brings to 13 deaths recorded so far in the inferno.
At about 3:00am on Sunday there was an explosion due to illegal activities of some oil bunkerers trying to siphon fuel from one of the pipes discharging the product.
Confirming the death of additional persons, Chief Medical Director of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCHT), Prof. Thomas Agan, told newsmen yesterday in Calabar that seven persons were currently receiving treatment at the `burns ward’ of the hospital.
Agan said: “Nine persons were brought to the hospital in the early hours of Sunday, shortly after the incident occurred. The incident is quite unfortunate and regrettable. The immediate and remote courses of the fire are yet to be known.
“We admitted nine victims. Seven were admitted into our burns ward and the other two, who had severe threatening conditions, were taken into the Intensive Care Unit.
“Unfortunately, those two died this morning (yesterday). Right now, we have seven patients with burns in our custody and they are receiving treatment.
“The challenge we have is that they were brought in as prescribed by the Federal Government.
“We had to use all we had to ensure they are kept alive. Our consumables are totally exhausted,” he said.
According to him, having patients with 60-90 percent burns was not an easy thing, adding that it was cost effective.
Agan said beside the state Commissioner of Police and other security agencies, who have come to visit the victims, no other persons have come to show interest in footing their medical bills.
“We need assistance, not only from the Federal Government, but from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and all those involved in this matter,’’ he said.
