Ten students from Good Shepherd Catholic Catering School in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, were hospitalized at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital following a gas explosion in the school’s kitchen,leadership reports.
The explosion, which occurred early Friday morning, affected students who were in the kitchen area at the time.
Comrade Emmanuel Nwizi, father of one of the victims, stated that the explosion was allegedly triggered by an android phone that one of the students brought into the kitchen. Nwizi, who works with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Abakaliki, reported that five of the affected students are currently on life support in the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit. He added that parents are working closely with the school leadership to ensure the students receive the best possible care.
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Nwizi’s daughter, Miss Chisom Nwizi, who only recently joined the school, suffered severe burns in the incident.
Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident but did not provide additional details. Meanwhile, sources close to the school revealed that the Catholic Reverend Sisters in charge of the institution are making efforts to save the lives of the affected students.