One dead, 9 others battling for life after catering school gas explosion

By Amarachi Ehia, AbakalikiA gas explosion at a catering school in Abakiliki victim of a gas explosion that occurred at the SDP axis of Orokeonuoha, Abakaliki in Ebonyi local government area of Ebonyi State has been reported dead.

Miss Mary Cynthia Ikelegu who died on Saturday evening at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA) was among the 10 students of Good Shepherd Catering School.

The school is said to belong to the Catholic Church.It was learnt that the explosion occurred in the kitchen section of the institution.

The victims are all students of the catering school.

The incident was said to have occurred when one of the students was answering a call in the kitchen while cooking food with a gas cylinder.

The explosion of the cylinder after some other cylinders, forcing the students to scamper for safety.In the process, ten of them were severely burnt. Somewhere burnt beyond recognition.

The victims were first taken to a police clinic at the police headquarters Abakaliki for medical treatment from where they were referred to the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki in the metropolis.

Mary Cynthia Ikelegu were among five of the victims that have been on life supporting machines at the hospital since Thursday morning when the incident occurred.

Among those affected by the disaster, is a 17 year old Chisom Nwizi the daughter of Emmanuel Nwizi, a staff of Nigeria Television Authority, Abakaliki. Nwizi told journalists who visited him at the hospital Friday that he has hope that his daughter will survive though she was severely burnt.

“I spoke with my daughter around 6:30am when I was going to buy Okpa for her siblings for breakfast and I promised to bring hers.

“Around 7:30am i got a call 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.

“So, when I got there, I saw students discussing in groups. One of them said that it was the mistake 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 the police clinic. I quickly rushed to the 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 this 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.