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Dozens of individuals have been killed on a roadside in Liberia after they rushed to scoop up gas from an overturned tanker earlier than it exploded, officers mentioned.
Officers have mentioned greater than 40 individuals died within the blast on Tuesday, however the nation’s well being minister, Wilhelmina Jallah, mentioned in a phone interview that the variety of fatalities may rise as a result of a further 83 individuals have been injured.
A video circulating on social media confirmed individuals working from the explosion, a few of them wrapped in flames, as thick, black smoke rose from the tanker.
“These guys risked their lives for little or nothing,” Jacob Vesselee, the regional site visitors commander, mentioned in a telephone name.
Dwelling requirements are dire in Liberia, the place greater than four-fifths of the inhabitants shouldn’t have ample entry to meals, in response to the World Financial institution, and costs for staples like rice and oil have soared over the previous two years.
In November, Liberia held largely peaceable presidential elections wherein the rising price of residing emerged as a significant strike in opposition to the federal government led by the previous soccer star George Weah, who in the end misplaced to Joseph Boakai.
The tanker overturned at about 2 p.m., when whereas it was overtaking one other automotive within the city of Totota, in north-central Liberia, Mr. Vesselee mentioned, drawing individuals to the scene earlier than the car exploded.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the worst road-safety report on the earth, in response to the United Nations.
Rescuers have been nonetheless attempting to find out the precise variety of the victims by going from house to house and questioning households as a result of not all of the our bodies have been recognizable, Dr. Francis Kateh, Liberia’s chief medical officer, advised the native channel Tremendous Bongese TV.
“Among the individuals burned past recognition,” he mentioned. “A few of them was ashes.”
The vast majority of the injured have been transported about 70 miles to the nation’s capital, Monrovia, Ms. Jallah, the well being minister, mentioned.
Jerry Brown, the chief govt officer of the John F. Kennedy Medical Heart in Monrovia, the biggest hospital in Liberia, mentioned the hospital acquired 28 individuals on Wednesday with burns from the primary to 3rd diploma. Two of them have since died.
He added that whereas the hospital has succesful docs, it doesn’t have a specialised burns unit, forcing them to show the trauma part right into a makeshift burns unit.
“Our capability to deal with burns is dismal,” mentioned Dr. Brown, including that the hospital may deal with 4 or 5 burn circumstances at a time. “It’s a giant problem.”
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