One Left Dead, 15 Suffocate From Generator Fume After Night Vigil
Tragedy occurred at the Young People's Christian Fellowship in Aba, Abia State, on Saturday July 26, as a six-year-old boy was confirmed dead, while 15 others were reportedly rushed to the hospital as a result of suffocation from generator fumes.
One of the victims on the hospital bed Photo credit: Vanguard
The deceased and the 16 other victims were said to have inhaled carbon monoxide fumes from a generator they were using during a night vigil at the church.
RELATED: Generator Fumes Kill Father, Mother, 5-Months-Old Baby
Residents of Eziukwu road where the worship centre is located woke up this morning to find the worshipers unconscious. There were initial fears that they'd all died but all of them, except a 6-year-old boy, recovered in the hospital.
The church were the incident happened
The police Area Commander, Aba, ACP Peter Wabara who confirmed the incident said:
“We got a phone call this morning that some persons were allegedly lying dead in a church at 8 Eziukwu road by Milverton Avenue, Aba.
“So I mobilised my men and called in some doctor friends since the government doctors were on strike and they accompanied us to the scene of the event.
“There we looked through the glass door and found them lying unconscious in a scattered manner. Fortunately, some of them were breathing so we moved them to two hospitals,” he said.
Wabara said that 11 of the worshippers were evacuated to Austin-Graces hospital on Okigwe road while four of them were moved to Goodness and Mercy hospital on Faulks road, Aba.
According to the commander, before leaving the scene, the rescue team searched the church environment and found a generating set that had exhausted its fuel and quenched but was still hot.
The commander said that there was a noxious odour in the air of the warehouse-turned-church which gave them the impression that the worshippers may have over-inhaled carbon monoxide.
He said that he accompanied the Deputy Governor of the state, Col. Emeka Ananaba (Rtd) to the hospitals and found that the persons involved were responding to treatment.
Wabara said some of the persons brought to Austin-Graces hospital had recovered and could recognise people, but were unable to field reporter’s enquiries during the visit.
Meanwhile, a police source who was among the rescuers, told NAN that the boy died as a result of the weight of his heavily-built father which fell on him when the man became unconscious.
The source said the child was seating beside his father and when they became unconscious, the father unknowingly fell to that side of his seat, pressing the boy and making breathing hard for him.
Another source from Ututu, told NAN on condition of anonymity that the man and his wife had lost one of their two children last month.
She said that they were left with only the boy that died at the prayer meeting on July 26.
Source: Legit.ng
