Poisonous gas: 500 Kaduna residents hospitalised
By SEGUN OLATUNJI
Sunday, 30 May 2010


TRAGEDY was on Saturday averted in Kaduna as over 500 people were hospitalised following the emission of a poisonous gas in the Kakuri Area of the state capital.


According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred when a welder operating along DIC Road in the Kakuri area attempted to cut open a big gas cylinder.


A resident, Ahmed Musa, said that at about 3 pm, several people in the area were noticed to have suddenly fallen and passed out, while several others started gasping for breath at about the same time after inhaling the gas that was later traced to an emission from the cylinder in the welder‘s shop.


The whole of the area was immediately thrown into commotion as residents struggled to rush those affected to the hospital, and at the same time tried to run for dear lives to escape the effect of the emission.


When our correspondent visited the St. Gerald Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, the Gwamna Awan Hospital and Maneks Hospital, where most of the victims were rushed to, the wards were overflowing with persons affected by the emission.


An unidentified Red Cross official, who said he received a call to come and help the victims of the emission, fell off the ambulance that was carrying the victims to St. Gerald, apparently affected by the gas. He was still on admission on Saturday night.


The doctor on duty at St. Gerald, Dr. Charles Elonuchukwu, said that those victims who were pregnant were affected most by the emission as many of them were still unconscious, expressing fears that gas inhaled by this category of the victims was capable of causing them to have stillbirth.


Elonuchukwu said many of the pregnant victims were still unconscious, while many others who were still having serious stomach pains were being kept under watch in the hospital.


”There was a gas emission and a lot of people inhaled it and we don‘t know the nature of the gas yet. But being a poisonous gas, it almost suffocated people. We had a lot of people here; they were approximately a hundred people. They were gasping for breath and most of them we had to do some palliative treatment,” he said.


”We had to send them outside after treatment to get some fresh air outside. Naturally, when they ventilate very well the gas will disappear gradually from their system. A lot of them actually got well here and they left. But some of them who could not get well spontaneously, we have to do something further in order to stabilise them and some of them are even still here.


”Most of them that have further problems are pregnant women. So we don‘t even know whether the gas is even a teratogenic kind of gas, that is the gas that can cause the baby in the womb to have problem. It can either kill the baby or harm it. So, we still have a lot of the victims that are pregnant women with us here, they are still having some stomach pain and dizziness. Some of them are even unconscious, like this woman here. They are just too many. It‘s so overwhelming and we can‘t see all of them at the same time. There are no deaths yet.”


The councillor representing the area in the Kaduna South Local Government Council, Mr. Adeleye Suraju, assured that after the evacuation of the cylinder the welder would be identified and necessary action would be taken against him.


Suraju appealed to the residents to remain calm and avoid the scene of the emission.


”The stench from the gas was so bad and people were just falling unconscious from its effect, but thank God there has been no case of death. More than 200 people are still unconscious in hospitals, but they are being revived. The doctors at the hospitals are trying their best to save the victims,” the councillor said.


”The local government has called on NEMA, SEMA and the health department of the Kaduna Polytechnic and they are on their way here now. I appeal to the people to remain calm and avoid the scene of the emission so that more people would not be affected. We don‘t know the owner but we have called on relief agencies to come and remove the cylinder. After it is removed, we‘ll identify the owner and then know the necessary action to take,” the councillor said.


Many residents of the area were seen going about in face masks, while others used handkerchiefs and other pieces of cloth to cover their noses.


Armed soldiers and anti-riot policemen from the state anti-crime outfit, Operation Yaki, have however cordoned off the area.


Sources said that the welder had taken to his heels to avoid arrest.


Usman Agonan, the Divisional Secretary for the Red Cross in Kaduna South, said most of the hospitals in the area were filled with children and women who inhaled the poisonous gas.


Agonan added that the Red Cross and other relief agencies were making efforts to evacuate the cylinder, which he said was still emitting smoke from the welder‘s shop as at 6.30 pm.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201005301645935

Why cant we for once in this nation, have a good news, such that, the whole world will celebrate with us, and give thanks to GOD for beginning of a new dawn.

Gosh! What a nation!

Do we still have editors working in these newspapers because the type of written english being published by national newspapers is getting out of hand.

Afam:

Do we still have editors working in these newspapers because the type of written english being published by national newspapers is getting out of hand.

I think the problem has to do with too much delegation, or neglect of duties or even being in a hurry to publish.

Do we still have editors working in these newspapers because the type of written english being published by national newspapers is getting out of hand.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred when a welder operating along DIC Road in the Kakuri area attempted to cut open a big gas cylinder.

i thought the writer said the poisonous gas was affecting eyes and nose. cant help laughing {gas.}

Please pardon me, can anything good ever come out of this nation? Please note, I am not a pessimist!.

how come this welder was not affected by the same poisonous gas? freaky

RICHIE BOI:

how come this welder was not affected by the same poisonous gas? freaky

That is another point here .

Do we even have any apparatus to test what kind of gas it is?

Nigeria is a very funny country. No one will investigate this, and same might happen someday, and nothing will investigate again.

If this had affected a senator or a honourable member, then FG will set up a high power panel to investigate and submit report within a week.

What a nation. Today, no one knows what kind of gas it was, and who uses the gas and for what?

Are they sure of the origin of the gas?

lord have mercy.

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE STORY
(NIGERIAN KIND OF NEWS REPORTING)

Over 500 Victims Of Poisnous Gas Admitted In Kaduna Hospitals
SUNDAY, 30 MAY 2010 00:00
FROM SAXONE AKHAINE, KADUNA
NEWS - NATIONAL


THERE was pandemonium in Kaduna yesterday, as more than 500 inhabitants of Kakuri, a suburb of the metropolis, became unconscious and were hospitalised, following an emission of poisonous gas.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred when a welder attempted to cut open a big gas cylinder, along Defence Industries Corporation Road, a densely populated area.

A resident, Ahmed Musa, told journalists that at about 3.00pm, several people in the area were noticed to have suddenly fallen and remained unconscious, while several others started gasping for breath after inhaling the gas.
As at press time, no official report of deaths was recorded by the various hospitals where the victims were admitted.
The whole of the Kakuri area was thrown into commotion as residents struggled to rush the affected persons to hospitals, and at the same time tried to run for to safety.

At Saint Gerald Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, Gwamna Awan Hospital and Maneks hospital, where most of the victims were rushed, wards were full with the affected persons.

Doctor on duty at Saint Gerald Catholic Hospital, Elonuchukwu Charles, said pregnant women were affected most by the emission. He said many of them were still unconscious and expressed fears that some might be at the risk of having stillbirths.

“We had a lot of people here; they were approximately a hundred. They were gasping for breath and for most of them we had to give some palliative treatment. We had to send them outside after treatment to get some fresh air; a lot of them actually got well. But for others who could not, we had to do something further in order to stabilise them. Some of them are still here.

“We still have a lot of pregnant women with us here. They are still having some stomach pain and dizziness. They are just so many. It’s so overwhelming and we can’t see all of them at the same time. There are no deaths yet,” he said.

Many residents of the area were seen going about in facemasks, while others used handkerchiefs to cover their noses.
Armed soldiers and anti-riot policemen have cordoned off the area.
Sources said that the welder had taken to heels to avoid arrest.

Councilor representing the area in the Kaduna South Local Government Council, Mr. Adeleye Suraju, assured that after the evacuation of the cylinder, the welder would be identified and necessary action taken against him.
Suraju appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid the scene of the emission.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/

We really need to upgrade the way we report news in this country. It is so unprofessional.

Some real sad news! Heard three people (including the welder actually died on the spot)! Seems that was some practice for the next form of terrorism to be unleashed on Nigerians living in the Northern part

bibiking1:

Some real sad news! Heard three people (including the welder actually died on the spot)! Seems that was some practice for the next form of terrorism to be unleashed on Nigerians living in the Northern part

Things are really happening in the northern Nigeria.

Otobroto:


Things are really happening in the northern Nigeria.

Those guys needs re-orientation. The current one they have is sliding them backward each day.

Osama trained gas men at work!

Mbeki:

Osama trained gas men at work!