The death toll from the chlorine gas explosion in Jos, Plateau State, in the early hours of Saturday has climbed to 14.
A survivor, Miss Franca Charles, who lives with her friend and roommate in the neighbourhood of the water treatment plant from where the explosion occurred, has said she and her roommate, Ifeoma, woke up to notice that the atmosphere of their room was saturated with the strange gas that made breathing difficult.
While narrating her ordeal, Franca, a 200 level student of Political Science department of University of Jos, who is currently receiving treatment at the state Specialist Hospital, said: “Ifeoma and I went to bed hale and hearty last night when we suddenly woke up in the early hours of today to see that our room was filled with gas and we could not breathe properly; we were inhaling some unpleasant air.
“Shortly we started hearing our neighbours screaming for help. We thought it was an attack from terrorists. We quickly opened the door and escaped; the day was still dark. I ran towards British-American Junction, while my friend ran towards the water board. I eventually survived, but my friend, Ifeoma, who ran towards the water treatment plant from where the gas exploded, did not survive. I learnt later that she died and her corpse has been deposited at the hospital mortuary.”
Thisday Newspaper
