The death toll in a fuel tanker blast in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown has risen to 130, Xinhua reported on Wednesday, citing the country's Health Minister Austin Demby
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th November, 2021) The death toll in a fuel tanker blast in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown has risen to 130, Xinhua reported on Wednesday, citing the country's Health Minister Austin Demby.
On Saturday, the national emergencies agency reported about 98 dead and 92 injured following the explosion of a truck transporting fuel after it collided with another vehicle.
Currently, 29 people remain hospitalized under medical attention, the minister said in an interview with Xinhua. The government has been working with health care agencies to collect blood for the victims of the blast, the news said.
"We need enough blood to save the lives of those who have suffered severe burns," the minister was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The authorities are also trying to identify victims of the explosion using DNA tests, according to Demby.
The incident occurred in the eastern part of Freetown late on November 5. A truck loaded with granite collided with a fuel tanker, which was driving out of a gas station. A fuel leak caused a massive explosion and a fire. Most of the victims were street vendors and motorcyclists who tried to clear the leaked fuel before it ignited.
