By Adeyinka Adeniran
Two additional bodies have been recovered from the rubbles at the site of Tuesday explosion at Old Bodija, Ibadan.
While search and rescue efforts recovered one body intact, the other was recovered mutilated.
The development put the fatalities figure at five as at Thursday.
The Incent Manager, Emergency Situation Room, Prof. Temitope Alonge and the Oyo State Commissioner for health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetumobi made the disclosures in their separate remarks on Thursday in Ibadan.
Alonge said “Yesterday (Wednesday), we were able to retrieve one corpse but not the full body, it was smashed up, we were only able to collect a few body part.
“But unfortunately today (Thursday) there’s one more elderly woman that we have been looking for, she has been taken to the forensic pathology unit for assessment.”
He added that aside providing accommodation for some displaced persons in nearby hotels, Alonge said the state government has engaged the services of clinical psychologists to provide psycho-social support for the servers.
“We have engage the services of clinical psychologists to help them come through this particular grief for those who have lost loved ones and also to counsel those whose property were damaged in the incident”, he noted.
Giving a sequential narrative of the event, the former Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital (UCH) said officials of the Nigerian Society of Engineers have been deployed to begin integrity test on the structures within the vicinity.
He appealed to owners of buildings and structures in the area to stay away from the property until the tests are concluded.
“The Nigeria Society of Engineers, Oyo State Chapter are on ground and looking at the integrity test, because we insisted that they should check all that this morning. And for homes that failed the test, I’m afraid they will have to be demolished and anyone that wants to pick a valuable in a relatively stable house, will be accompanied by the engineers with their helmet and other safety officials.
“Once that is sorted out, valuables here means certificate and maybe land documents. Otherwise, we are not encouraging them to take beds, tables and chairs out of the premises because of the risk that they pose.
“So, we are carrying on search and rescue but at the same time the engineers are doing their jobs and the place is been secured by the Nigeria Army, Nigeria Police as well as Civil Defence and Amotekun Corps”, Prof. Alonge added.
In her remarks, the state commissioner for health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetumobi said many of the survivors who were taken for medical attention are relatively stable as many of them have been discharged to their relatives and family members.
She said “So far, from our records, as at Wednesday we reported three but as at this morning (Thursday) we picked another body from the rubble and we also picked another body part which cannot be recognised. It was like a mopped up muscles. So, let’s say maybe five in total now but we still don’t know whether we are going to pick more from the rubbles. But, so far so good, let’s say five has been recovered.”
On the government’s effort to support the survivors, the health commissioner said “Some of the victims have relations around Ibadan, some are staying with their relations. But, those people who are badly affected that don’t have anywhere to go have been asked to stay in our hotels around Ibadan.
“And apart from shelter, they are also providing food for them as a temporary measure. So, they are there now with all the support and even psycho-social support too for those that needs to be talked to psychological because this is really devastating. It is a disaster. We know that either now or later, we know that they will need the psycho-social and psychological support, so that’s also been provided and people have come now to say they are willing to help if we need more hands.
“And for those in hospitals, we have them in various hospitals, some were taken to UCH, they are stable. Some are in Redeemers hospital beside Ace mall, they also are doing well, some are in hilltop hospital Mokola, the report we also got there was encouraging. The children that were taken to J-Rapha, all of them were discharged that day and some are with their relatives.
