Only survivor in Lagos fire disaster, 8-year-old Chidinma, dies in hospital
The only survivor in the fire that claimed seven members of her family Tuesday night at Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos, eight-year-old Chidinma Onoja, has died..
She died Thursday after doctors at Gbagada General Hospital battled in vain to save her life from the severe burns sustained on her face and other parts of her body proved abortive.
According report, doctors at the general hospital blame her death on failure to administer immediate treatment on unfortunate lass.
It was learnt that two hospitals rejected to take in the critically injured child for immediate treatment.
Her situation was made worse by delays in commencing immediate treatment at Gbagada General Hospital over payment.
Chidinma died Thursday afternoon and her body had since been removed to Myhoung Barracks Hospital morgue at Yaba, where those of other members of her family were deposited.
Vanguard quotes One of the relatives, Jude Ali, saying in disbelief: “I cannot believe that Chidinma is dead. We thought she was going to survive in order to tell the world the story.
“Members of that family have been wiped out completely. Whoever is behind this will know no peace. All we want is for a thorough investigation to be carried out to unravel the cause of the fire.”
Ali was just echoing the groundswell of conspiracy theory gaining ground among the relatives of the deceased who hail from Umuopu village, Enugu_Ezike, Enugu State and their sympathisers.
A resident of Michael Ogun street, Mrs. Christina Faleti, disclosed that the late Chidinma could have survived had she received swift medical attention.
She alleged that the deceased was first taken to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, but was rejected on grounds that there was no police report.
According to her, the deceased was, thereafter, taken to a private hospital around the area from where she was referred to Gbagada General Hospital, after about an hour without treatment.
She said: “Everything involves money in this land. They could not treat the girl until we brought the money contributed by the community.
They did not place her on oxygen until we paid. The chairman of Surulere contributed more than N50,000. I was the one that raised the alarm on the fire, I woke up the entire community and collected money from members.
“At the hospital, I noticed that Chidinma's head was swollen and when I asked the doctor why it was so, he disclosed that water had gathered in that area. He also warned that the drip must not detach from her body in any way. I spoke with her by giving her soothing words. When I said sorry, she responded by looking at me calmly. She was a strong girl who was determined to live, even in the face of death. But treatment was not administered on her on time, else, she would have survived.”
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