Many have died while some are in critical conditions in the hospital after surviving kerosene explosions, Precious Dikewoha in this report looks at the trauma and the way out of the growing disaster
In that fateful day, Mr. Abiakwe Amaziah, and his family of five were almost consumed by a fire incident, they were victims of kerosene explosion. His wife, a mother of three, was refilling a family lantern with kerosene in when it exploded. The family was almost consumed before neigbours came and rushed them to the hospital. Mr. Abiakwe and wife were seriously burnt. He survived the fire, unfortunately his wife died after two days in the hospital. The same fate befell one of his daughters a few days after. The remaining members of the family survived with serious wounds left untreated after they were discharged from the hospital.
Since the incident, the family has been rendered homeless and helpless. Mr. Amaziah has since sold some of his properties and spent all the money he on treatment, during the burial of his wife and daughter, he appealed to government to arrest and prosecute dealers of adulterated kerosene products.
Living with agony
In a voice suffused in agony and pains he said, “We bought kerosene but we didn’t know that it was adulterated and it exploded, you can see I am burying my wife and daughter today. I have lost everything I have; I don’t know how to start; only God can assist me to start afresh again. The only justice I want is for government to prosecute those who sell adulterated kerosene product.”
Another victim, Sampson Odum, 10, residing at Eleparawa, in Obio/Akpor Local government area of Rivers State, was burnt to death and beyond recognition. His poor parents were also burnt including their wooden constructed house popularly called ‘batcher’.
Chibuzor Odum, the brother to the victim who hails from Rumuekpe in Emohua Local government area of Rivers State, said his father, Sampson Odum, was turning the kerosene into the cooking stove when his phone rang and the stove exploded.
Chibuzor, who said he is not sure if what his father bought was real kerosene, said his late brother was asleep when the explosion occurred and the family struggled to rush out of the house without remembering that someone was asleep.
“It was after we had escaped, though my father and mother were seriously burnt that we now remembered that the family was not complete, the fire was much for anyone to risk jumping inside to rescue him. When the fire was put off, my brother was burnt beyond recognition. My father died because the hospital around rejected him for treatment.”
On August 8, 2016 Mr. Okoro Ndubuisi was turning the kerosene he bought from the black market into his cooking stove when it exploded. He was lucky no member of his family was around but he was seriously affected and his house burnt down.
The following month, September 18, it was the turn of Mr. Fidelis Umechukwu and his daughter Chidinma. They were hospitalised after a kerosene explosion that placed them in critical condition.
Umechukwu, 47, was rushed to Eboyi Hospital at Orazi in Obio/Akpor local government while his daughter Chidinma, 13, was treated at Life Forth Hospital, Iwofi before she died three days later. The news of her death destabilised the health condition of the father, though doctors at the hospital were able stabilise him.
He was seriously affected because he took the risk to jump back into the fire to rescue his daughter who he said was at the point of death. “My wife went out, and I decided to enter the kitchen to prepare food that was when my daughter called to inform me that the kerosene in the lantern is running low. I then asked her to bring the kerosene inside the keg to pour in the lantern and before I knew it, the kitchen was set ablaze.
“My four children were inside the house and immediately the house caught fire I ran out. But I realised my daughter was still inside, that was how I forced myself inside the fire and brought her out. I then went inside the room and carried the remaining of my children who were in the living room.”
Merchants of death
When our correspondent visited Borokiri axis of Port Harcourt where bunkered kerosene were being sold some of the dealers agreed that adulterated kerosene was the cause of the incessant explosion. But they blamed the illegal ‘bunkerers’ whom they said were not properly refining the product before selling it to the public.
One of the dealers of illegal refine kerosene, Mrs. Angela Nweke said because of the high cost of the refined product most dealers prefer to patronise the adulterated ones being sold by militants and those involved in oil bunkering. She said the cause of the explosion is not from them (dealers) but the inability of the dealers to properly refine the product.
She also alleged that some marketers or owners of filling stations also patronise the boys, “We are not the only people that patronise these boys, there are big men who come here with their tankers to load this adulterated kerosene and when they get to their filling stations they mixed it with the good one. On the issue of explosion, we have informed the boys on the need to properly refine the kerosene considering the danger it is posing in the society. But we cannot stop buying because we are making enough profits from the product.”
But Mr. Stephen Woke, a petroleum marketer in Port Harcourt said no right thinking marketer would adulterate his product with something he knows would pose danger to families of his or her customers. He called on the security agencies to track down those who are illegally refining kerosene and selling it to members of the public.
He assured members of the public that marketers cannot sell kerosene that would explode except they buy from the roadside marketers who he allegedly said patronise the bunkering boys.
Dr. Kayode Olabanji, President of Nigerian Association of Plastic Reconstruction and Aesthetic Surgeons, said the ability to save the life of burn patients in an emergency situation depends on the facility on ground.
He noted that as far as facilities are concerned, the level of their practices are limited by the level of the situation in the country, adding that they are still practising and doing their best and can only do better when there are facilities to work with.
Dr. Olabanji advised citizens to be cautious when handling inflammable products. He said, “A case of explosion whether fire, kerosene gas or whatever are serious. Trauma is increasing on a daily basis, so we are sharing experiences, and to see how we can partner with government to prevent trauma. It is important to stay safe and again we are available to take care of the inevitable ones. It is good to know that we have qualified plastic surgeons residing in the country and in all the states of the federation. We have different aspects of plastic surgery, we have reconstructive, which deals with trauma and other areas of repair, we have the esthetic aspect; this is to correct, including the correction of congenital anomalies. We are practising to the limit of the facility we have.”
Dr. Samuel Ademola of the Department of Plastic, Reconstruction and Aesthetic Surgery, University College Hospital Ibadan, who is also the current President, Nigerian Burn Injuries Society said the survival of burn patients is 100% possible. He, however, said this depends on the facilities on ground.
At the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Prof Aaron Ojule, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) said the challenges the hospital is facing as a referral centre is enormous. He said the patients referred to the facility were more than it can handle, adding that despite the scarce resources the hospital is planning to build a burn centre.
How far this centre can go to rescue traumatised citizens is another thing, while government agencies need to wake up to their duties and arrest the proliferation of adulterated kerosene.
