The death toll from a series of bomb blasts
blamed on Boko Haram in Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria has risen to at least
117, hospital sources said on Tuesday, more than twice the official tally.
A total of 72 dead were registered at the University of
Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, while another 45 were taken to the mortuary at the
Borno State Specialist Hospital, three medical staff said.
Borno state's capital has been hit
repeatedly since President
Muhammadu Buhari came to power on May 29, vowing to crush the insurgency.
But Sunday night's attacks were the deadliest so far.
Nigeria's military claims the Islamist militants are a spent
force and that troops have driven them from their camps and occupied territory
in the remote region.
But the blasts underlined the threat the group still poses
with its guerrilla-style tactics against "soft" civilian targets.
Borno police on Monday said that 54 people died and 90 were
injured in the bombings, which hit worshippers at a mosque, football fans
watching a televised match and bystanders.
Locals disputed the figures, saying at least 85 died and
that some people had taken loved ones killed in the blasts directly for burial
rather than to hospitals.
"Sixty-nine dead bodies were brought here and three
other people died while receiving treatment," an orthopaedic doctor at the
University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital said on Tuesday.
"I am afraid that there are some victims with grievous
injuries who may likely require referral to other specialised hospitals."
A mortuary worker at the hospital confirmed the tally.
"Some bereaved families have come and claimed the
bodies of their loved ones but we still have many here," he said.
At the city's State Specialist Hospital, a senior nursing
officer said 45 bodies were brought to the mortuary.
"Most of the bodies were unrecognisable because of the
burns the victims sustained," he said.
"Most of the 43 people that died in the mosque were
brought here."
More than 70 others who were injured were also brought for
treatment, he added.
The sources requested anonymity as they were not authorised
to speak to the media.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Nigeria: Death toll hits 117 after Maiduguri bombings
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Write comments