S. Sudan gov’t announces three days to mourning oil blast victims
September 18, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudan council of ministers declared three days of mourning on Friday to remember the victims of oil tanker blast that occurred in Wester Equatoria state on Wednesday. Details of the shocking death of nearly 200 people only emerged on Thursday.
During a weekly a meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir, the government described the incident as “shocking and a national tragedy,” information minister Michael Makuei told reporters.
“The flags will fly half-mast from today (Friday) and until the ends of three days,” said Makuei.
The accident occurred near Maridi town on Wednesday when a fuel tanker veered off road and overturn causing oil to leak and attrack at least 1,000 local residents to siphon the fuel. Fire started and quickly spread, killing at least 176 people instantly, Maridi county commissioner Wilson Thomas said on Wednesday.
The death toll continue to surge with local media reporting death of at least ten people over the last 24 hours to bring the number to 186 killed. There are several people injured and local health services are overwhelmed. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it dispatched a helicopter on Thursday to Maridi to assist the patients.
Minister Makuei said the dead are still being counted.
“The number of casualties is bigger than that (176). The number of injured is bigger than but we were not able to get the exact number up to now,” he said.
He blamed the belated report on poor network between Juba and Maridi, some 250 km in the west of South Sudan.
(ST)