At least 10 schoolgirls suffered severe burns following a gas explosion at Good Shepherd Catering School in Orokeonuoha, Ebonyi Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, on Friday. The girls, aged between 12 and 19, were attending catering classes when the explosion occurred.
The incident took place inside the school kitchen when a student allegedly answered a phone call while cooking, leading to the explosion of a gas cylinder. Five of the injured girls are reportedly on life support at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.
One of the victims is Chisom, the 17-year-old daughter of Emmanuel Nwizi, a staff member of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in Abakaliki. Speaking about the tragedy, Mr. Nwizi recounted how he received a call early Friday morning informing him of the fire at the school.
“When I arrived at the school, I learned that a student’s phone call may have triggered the explosion,” Mr. Nwizi said during a visit by journalists organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Ebonyi State Council.
He explained that the injured girls were initially taken to a police clinic but were later transferred to the teaching hospital due to the severity of their burns. “I saw 10 girls with severe burns, and five are still on life support,” he added. Despite the critical condition of his daughter, Mr. Nwizi expressed hope for her recovery.
He commended the school authorities for their swift response to the tragedy. “The school has not asked any parent for money yet. They are focusing on saving lives before addressing financial matters,” Mr. Nwizi stated.
Efforts to contact school officials for comment were unsuccessful, as they were occupied with managing the aftermath of the explosion. Good Shepherd Catering School, an all-girls institution, is operated by the Abakaliki Catholic Diocese.
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