Death Toll Of Benue Tanker Fire Increases To 37 – FRSC Confirms

FRSC Confirms 37 Dead, Says More Are Likely To Die After Benue Tanker Fire

Death toll from the Benue tanker explosion has increased to 37, Aliyu Baba, Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission in Benue State confirmed yesterday.

The FRSC Commander also noted that 101 persons were injured in the Monday’s tanker explosion in Ahumbe village along the Makurdi-Aliade-Otukpo Road in Gwer East Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that the 101 people have been taken to different hospitals across the state as a result of injuries sustained in the incident.

Baba told newsmen in Makurdi that the death toll might be higher as some of the victims were currently in critical conditions in more than eight hospitals spread across Makurdi and Alaide in Gwer East LGAs respectively.

In the same vein, Chief Medical Director of the Benue State Teaching Hospital, Dr Terlumun Swende, said 10 victims of the fire incident were brought to the hospital on Monday.

He said the victims were severely burnt, stressing that the least of them secured 75 percent lower degree burns and that more critical cases were being referred to the facility from other hospitals.

Swende said a team of surgeons, Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders as well as personnel of BSUTH were working round the clock to salvage the situation.

Governor Samuel Ortom through his spokesman, TerverAkase, condoled with families of the victims and assured survivors that the state government would assist in payment their medical bills.