By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA — Pathologists from government hospitals in Anambra State, Tuesday, commenced forensic laboratory tests on all the burnt corpses of those who died during last Sunday’s fire that sparked off when a tanker laden with 33,000 litres of fuel developed brake failure and rammed into Asaba Motor Park at Upper Iweka in Onitsha and exploded.

This came as Chief Consultant-in-Charge of Onitsha General Hospital, Dr. Mercy Ebelechukwu, confirmed that 43 persons died in the inferno, while only six sustained serious injuries.

However, Onitsha Newspaper Distributors Directors Association, ONDDA, claimed that it lost about five of its members to the inferno, while one sustained a minor injury and had been discharged from the hospital.

A visit to the General Hospital, Onitsha, yesterday showed that the pathologists who were too busy to speak to newsmen, were seen at the morgue carrying out the forensic lab tests on the heap of burnt corpses.

Onitsha tanker accident

One of the pathologists who was seen in front of the morgue as he was entering a car to drive out, pleaded with newsmen to exercise patience and wait for him as he was going out to look for dentists to perform their own part of the forensic tests, since the corpses were gradually decomposing.

Speaking to newsmen in her office, the Chief Consultant-In-Charge of Onitsha General Hospital, Dr. Mercy Ebelechukwu, said she was surprised that the Red Cross and other groups were dishing out inflated figures of the casualty to the public.

According to her, 22 corpses were brought to the General Hospital morgue on the fateful day, while 20 other corpses remained at Toronto hospital morgue.

She added that of the seven injured ones, one more died on the way to Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Awka, and the corpse was brought back to General Hospital morgue to bring the figure of corpses at the General Hospital Morgue to 23.

Dr. Ebelechukwu further explained that of the 20 corpses deposited at Toronto Hospital morgue, 12 were moved to General Hospital morgue to bring the total figure now to 35, while the remaining eight were still in the Toronto morgue.

She said of the remaining six injured at Toronto, one was transferred to Awka Teaching Hospital on Monday, apart from three other injured ones who were rushed to Menax private hospital, of which one had been discharged.

She said it was imperative to quote the real casualty figures to prevent fraudsters from defrauding the state government which had agreed to bankroll the hospital bills of all the injured ones, adding that in the case of compensation, some people might come up to start claiming that they had relations, based on the inflated figures.

She expressed the fears that the situation might lead to mass burial as most of the corpses were burnt beyond recognition and had already started decomposing to the extent that if more time was wasted, diseases might spread to the entire General Hospital premises, in spite of the chemical contents being poured on the corpses to curtail the odour.

Meanwhile, immediate past Chairman of ONDDA, Chief Christian Ikpe, gave the names of their dead members as Ifeanyi and Ifeoma working under Chuks Newspaper Agency, while the other vendor simply known as Local Man died with his wife and child at the scene.

According to him, one other vendor simply known as Obura, sustained injury but was treated in the hospital and discharged.

Ikpe called on the state government not only to assist the bereaved families with financial aid because they died in essential services, but also provide employment opportunities for the youths who out of no jobs, joined the vending business and its attendant risks.

At Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Emeka Eze, admitted that Governor Willie Obiano actually directed them to give medical attention to the injured victims at the expense of the state government, adding that they were doing their best.