22nd September, 2012
Eleven surviving victims of the 12 July Okogbe Petroleum Tanker fire disaster in Ahoada West local Government area of Rivers State,South-South,Nigeria, and who were admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital,UPTH,have vanished from their hospital beds.
Dr Benjamin Kejeh,Head of Burns Unit of the hospital revealed this while giving an update of number of survivors from the fire victims admitted for emergency in the intensive care unit.
He said eleven of the victims left the hospital without the permission of the burns experts treating them in the hospital and against medical advice,while six others signed that they be discharged without completing their treatment.
The burns specialist also revealed that two of the patients whose wounds had healed and certified fit have been discharged to live their normal lives.
The explosion at Ula-Okogbe killed over 200 persons,including pregnant women,children and men who had milled around the fallen tanker to scoop fuel.
The Rivers State government in collaboration with UPTH set up an emergency unit to cater for victims with severe burns.The medical bills of the victims were paid by the Rivers State Government.