2024-02-13 06:12:16
Dramatic accident Wednesday in Douala. An explosion followed by a fire occurred in a hotel school in the Ndogbong district, causing 18 burns among the students present. The toll is heavy. Back to this terrible tragedy.
An explosion in the middle of a cooking class
The events took place late in the afternoon, around 5 p.m. according to our information. At a private hotel training institute in Ndogbong, a working-class neighborhood in the north-east of Douala, the students are in the middle of a practical cooking session.
Suddenly, a terrible explosion rang out. A gas cylinder explosion has just occurred. In an instant, a violent fire engulfs the place, trapping the students inside.
18 victims to deplore
The toll is very heavy: no less than 18 students were seriously burned by the flames. Aged 16 to 30, the injured are treated as an absolute emergency by the emergency services and evacuated to the intensive care unit of the Douala general hospital.
« Of the 18 students welcomed, we counted 12 women and 6 men” clarified the management of the hospital establishment to our editorial staff, evoking “5 cases of serious burns between 25% and 60% over the entire surface of the body”. Committed vital prognoses.
Maximum mobilization of medical teams
Faced with the sudden influx of so many burn victims, the Douala general hospital had to activate its white plan, an emergency procedure in the event of a massive influx of patients. “HGD medical teams will monitor 24 hours a day to ensure that these students will receive the best care” still assures the hospital.
All hopes are now focused on the healthcare staff to save the most seriously affected students. Because for some young people, the vital prognosis remains seriously compromised.
The preferred accidental track
The precise causes of the dramatic fire remain to be determined with certainty. But at this stage, it is the accident theory which seems to hold the upper hand. The start of the fire is believed to be due to a leak on a gas cylinder, which exploded while being handled by the student cooks.
The days to come will allow us to see more clearly the exact course of events. But whatever happens, the human toll is already tragic for the hotel school, bereaved by this terrible tragedy. All the light must be shed.