- Title: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Wounded recover in Sange village after tanker fire
- Date: 7th July 2010
- Summary: SANGE, DR CONGO (JULY 5, 2010) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF ROAD WITH BURNT TANKER LYING ON ITS SIDE CLOSER VIEW OF BURNT WHEELS AT BASE OF TANKER AS PEDESTRIANS PASS BY BURNT SHELL OF TANKER PEOPLE GATHERED NEAR SATELLITE DISH
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVAC8FR7I3HNQCJ1WA62YIITNC5Z
- Story Text: People in Sange village, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are still reeling after a fuel tanker overturned and exploded killing at least 230 people last weekend.
More than 60 children, many of them watching football in makeshift cinema halls, were among those killed in the blast after an oil tanker toppled over and leaking petrol ignited with the force equivalent to 343 kg (756 lb) of dynamite.
Officials described scenes of devastation in the town where houses were burnt and bodies littered the streets.
Some people died while trying to steal fuel leaking from the tanker, but most were killed at home or watching World Cup soccer in cinemas.
Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition. The victims were buried in mass graves, but local humanitarian agencies are still trying to find ways to co-ordinate assistance for those who were injured and the people who have lost their homes.
"Since this morning, I had several meetings with members of the local and international humanitarian community so that we can find out how to assist these victims and to find out who is doing what for to assist the victims and what we have brought forward to the government and what partners can bring to the table so that we can come up with an efficient plan to help those who were injured in the explosion," said Maker Mwangu Fuamba, DR Congo's minister of social and humanitarian affairs.
President Joseph Kabila visited wounded and volunteers in the affected area, after declaring two days of national mourning on Sunday (July 4).
Some residents, many of whom lost their houses and belongings in the blast are asking the government to provide basic material needs.
"We ask the government to help us because our houses were burnt. We have lost our goods and we need food, mattresses and the government should look into ways to help us. We have loved our children and wives," said Sange resident Luella Bwendwa.
But Congo's weak government has difficulty providing even basic services.
U.N. peacekeepers began airlifting some of the wounded to nearby hospitals and aid workers were called in to help with medical treatment.
"I am starting to recover. My leg is healing because I have received treatment," said burn patient Fayida Yotabu , as she recovered in hospital.
"It has been four four days and I just started talking again," added another patient.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the accident or subsequent blast, but local people said the truck, which was part of a convoy, stopped when the road seemed to crumble, toppling the vehicle and spilling fuel before the scene was engulfed in flames.
There have been numerous similar accidents across Africa, where crowds gather around fuel tankers involved in crashes, only for the tanker to explode. Roads in the area are notoriously bad after years of war and neglect in the vast central African nation.
Sector experts have warned of further accidents, citing poorly-maintained vehicles, untrained drivers, poor quality fuel and a lack of insurance and other documentation as some of the problems. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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