Pain of identifying of bodies in the Siaya Fuel tanker tragedy.

Pauline Njoki July 21, 2021July 21, 2021 Siaya

The death toll from the Siaya shipwreck rose to 17 when the identification of 13 bodies burned to the ground of unidentified activity began on Tuesday.

Grieving families gathered at Yala Sub-County Hospital, where a team of various agents from Nairobi and Kisumu came together to collect DNA samples from family members and the remains of the deceased.

The accident happened when a tank truck collided with a truck carrying milk at Malanga market in the Gem constituency and caught fire on Saturday.

Pregnant woman
The medical superintendent of Siaya County Referral Hospital Liechtenstein Adoyo confirmed that a pregnant woman with serious injuries in hell was one of two people who died yesterday. “The woman was 90% burnt and we lost her around 5.30 this morning,” said Dr Liechtenstein.

He told the Nation that another victim – a man who had also suffered severe burns – died in the morning. Another 22 patients were being treated at the hospital, most of whom had burnt more than 70%.

State chemist
At the Yala Sub-County center, five patients were burnt below 30% and one at Inuka Hospital. Collection of DNA samples began at 9:30 a.m., after nearly 50 of the affected family members arrived at the Yala mortuary.

Samples were taken from all 13 bodies as well as close family members for analysis in Kisumu.

The identification came at a time when the affected families were struggling to cope with the deaths of their loved ones in the blast that saw corn fields almost burnt to the ground.

By 11:30 a.m., a team of state pharmacists, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and officers from the Disaster Management Unit had listed the names of the family members of the victims and took their samples.

“We are here to ensure that families register and collect DNA test samples at the Kisumu regional pharmacy. The exercise was a success, ”said one official.

“Since the mother of the child remarried and moved into a new union with her daughter, we had to trace her birthplace to find one of her siblings. that of a girl, ”the official said.

During the day, a meeting was held in Mutumbu where a team of various agents, MP Gem Elisha Odhiambo, and the affected families, had to collect data and share information on the tragedy.

“We expect the test results to be released within the next three days or so that we can identify the bodies and begin preparations for the funeral,” Odhiambo said.

Only four people who died at the referral hospital while undergoing treatment have been identified. Interfaith prayer services are scheduled for tomorrow for bereaved families.