Rivers
Orazi Gas Explosion: 3 Confirmed Dead
Three persons have been confirmed dead in the Orazi Gas explosion in Port Harcourt , Rivers State, which occurred last weekend.
Recall that the Rivers State Government confirmed that 16 persons were initially admitted into the hospital as a result of the explosion.
According to information, the dead, which include a father and two of his daughters, were among those receiving treatment at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, saying the 16 survivors from the incident were carried immediately to the RSUTH.
She also confirmed that some of them were in critical conditions when they were taken there.
“In fact, we are currently managing 16 patients that arose from the explosion at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.
“They have various degrees of burns and thankfully we have a highly specialized unit that is providing expert attention and care to the patients”, she said.
Dr. Oreh said the explosion took place in a residential area without proper guidelines.
“The gas explosion took place in a residential area without adherent to guidelines on how gas cylinders that are commercialized should be operated.
“This is definitely beyond the ministry of health and that emphasizes the fact of what we call social determinants of health and so we work very closely with other ministries”she said.
She also said the Rivers State Government, through the various ministries, is carrying out activities with the view to streamlining the activities of such service providers so that clear guidelines are communicated to them to ensure that the lives of and property of the people of Rivers state is protected.
John Bibor