TRAGËDY struck over the weekend in Ebonyi as 10 school girls were severely burnt in a gas explosion that occurred in a catering school in Orokeonuoha, Ebonyi Local Government Area of the State.
The girls are between 12 and 19 years old. The incident occurred at a building where they were acquiring catering skills in the school known as Good Shepherd Catering School.
The all girls’ school, the Nation gathered, is owned by Abakaliki Catholic Diocese.
It was learnt that one of the students was cooking in the kitchen section of the school and was allegedly answering phone call when the gas cylinder exploded.
Five out of the 10 victims are said to be on life support at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. It was learnt that the conditions of the remaining five victims are not so severe.
One of the victims, 17-year old Chisom Nwizi is the daughter of
Emmanuel Nwizi, a staff of Nigeria Television Authority, NTA Abakaliki.
Nwizi told members of the state Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) who visited him on Friday night at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital that his daughter sustained severe burns in the disaster.
“I got a call around 6:30am that the kitchen section of Good Shepherd Catering School has been engulfed by fire and I rushed to the place immediately because my daughter is one of the students there.
“When I got there, I saw students discussing in groups. One of them said that it is the carelessness of one of the students, that if one of the students didn’t enter the kitchen with her phone, the incident wouldn’t have happened.
“I moved into the school proper and I was told that the victims have been taken to police clinic. I quickly rushed to police clinic and I was informed that they have been taken to the Accident and Emergency Unit of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA).
“When I got there, my brother, it was very severe and it affected ten students. They are still here in AE-FUTHA with us. Out of these ten, five are still on life supporting machines till now.
“My daughter sustained severe burns but I have hope that she will survive. The school authority is doing well; they have been trying since the incident occurred. They have not asked any parent to bring a dime, they are still saying after saving lives first before they will engage parents to bring whatever they have.
“I commend the effort of the Reverend sisters managing the catering school. Yesterday, they stayed in the hospital till 12 midnight, I really appreciate their efforts,” he said.
