In a country whose history has seen its land torn apart by numerous wars and instability, the explosion of the massive oil tanker in the Democratic Republic of Congo that saw the deaths of 232 people is just the latest disaster to add to the misery of a people that still live in an unstable region.
Tragedy Strikes the Congo
President Joseph Kabila has declared July the 5th and 6th as days of mourning for the dozens killed in the massive oil blast that killed more than 200 people over the weekend and left dozen more survivors badly burned and wounded in an eastern Congo hospital on Sunday. The tanker exploded on impact as it overturned after attempting to overtake a bus on a dirt road in the village of Sange.
According to The Wall Street Journal Online in an article published on July 4, 2010 entitled, ‘Congo Blast Death Toll Passes 230,’ it states, ‘…the tanker hauling fuel from the provincial capital, Bukavu, overturned as it tried to pass a minibus in Sange, a small village near the Burundi border…the wrecked vehicle began gushing gasoline beside three flimsy television halls made of brick and wood, where hundreds of people had gathered to watch the World Cup.’
The article continues to state that the death toll of the explosion stands at 231 dead and 195 people wounded in the blast. The high death toll is attributed to the crowds that gathered at the scene of the accident attempting to siphon off some of the gasoline as it leaked, and the burning gasoline that spread and engulfed people who were trapped in the surrounding houses, bars and restaurant halls.
Mass Graves for Victims of Blast
Adding further insult to their injury, the families of the dead have been unable to personally mourn their deceased due to the bodies being badly charred and burnt beyond recognition. Jean-Claude Kibala Nkolde, South Kivu’s vice-governor, stated that another reason the authorities decided on mass graves was due to the tropical heat of the region, in order to prevent the bodies from decomposing in the heat.
With speculation rife about the exact cause of the resulting blast from the oil tanker, the country remains in mourning and brings to light the neglect some areas of the country have suffered as a consequence of the numerous wars that have devastated the country, its people and its infrastructure.
According to Tracy McVeigh in an article for The Guardian Online published on July 3, 2010 entitled, ‘Congo Fuel Truck Explosion Kills At Least 230 People, ‘ she states, ‘Roads in the area are notoriously bad after years of war and neglect in the vast central African nation. The population of Sange has more than doubled in the past year to about 40,000 as the result of an influx of refugees fleeing the Lord's Resistance Army, a sectarian militant group…’
The Toll of War
With the refugees from the regions conflicts fleeing to Sange and housed by the local population of the village, the area sustained a large number of orphans, and among the death toll, 60 of the casualties were identified as children. In a country stained with war and poverty, the latest disaster in the Congo continues to highlight that the scars on the people and on the land are scars that will take a long time to heal.
Sharon Kasanda - Sharon Kasanda Suite 101.com Contributing Writer Sharon Kasanda is a contributing writer on Suite 101.com. She completed her ...
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