The death toll from the tanker explosion on Ugwu-Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway has risen from 21 to 23 as confirmed by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
The Sector Commander of the FRSC, Enugu State Command, Mr Franklin Agbakoba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday that an additional two female victims died recently while in hospital admission.
NAN recalls that the incident, which happened on Jan. 25, at about 11:30 a.m. when a fuel-laden tanker had a brake failure, fell and exploded, left 11 road users dead before emergency responders came to the scene.
NAN reports that the deceased were evacuated by the FRSC officers after officials of the Enugu State Fire Service extinguished the inferno while the injured were taken to hospitals within Enugu for treatment.
The death toll rose to 18 person after a day of the accident and 21 after four days and now 23 persons.
Agbakoba said that the additional two victims – one being admitted at the UNTH Ituku-Ozalla and another being admitted at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu – could not make it after battling to live for about a week.
According to him, out of the five admitted in UNTH six days ago, one died at the end of the month and one female still admitted now.
“The remaining three patients in UNTH who are of the same family, secured discharge even against medical advice, relocated from the teaching hospital to seek traditional medical treatment for their injuries at home,” he said.
For the five victims of the accident admitted in ESUTH Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, six days ago, Agbakoba said that three of the female victims are still on admission at the hospital.
“Two of the admitted patients in ESUTH Teaching Hospital have been referred to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu due to fire burn wounds,” he said.
He said that for the three victims admitted at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu six days ago, one died recently and the remaining two surviving had been joined by one victim on referral from ESUTH Teaching Hospital.
“However, one of the two patients involved in the accident referred to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu from ESUTH Teaching Hospital, left and did not report to where he was recently refered to,” he said.
Agbakoba, who is also a Corps Commander, had earlier disclosed that the incident involved 44 people as well as 16 vehicles, both commercial and private and a commercial tricycle.
He said that 23 persons, which included eight males and 15 females, were injured in the accident and rushed to three major government hospitals in Enugu namely: UNTH Ituku-Ozalla; ESUTH Teaching Hospital and National Orthopedic Hospital. (NAN)