NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 15 – The Government plans to hold a mass burial next week for the Sinai fire victims who were burnt beyond recognition.
Special Programmes PS Andrew Mondoh who addressed journalist at the Tom Mboya Social Hall in Buru Buru said that 15 bodies have so far been positively identified and will be given to family members for burial.
Mondoh says bodies burnt beyond recognition will be interred at the Lang’ata cemetery.
The PS has called upon the relatives of the victims to proceed to the City Mortuary beginning tomorrow to aid in DNA testing.
He said: “DNA testing will commence on Thursday at 8 in the morning and we urge those people who lost their loved ones to be there.15 bodies have been positively identified and the families will be given the go ahead to burry them although the government will meet the all the costs of transporting the bodies and the burial.”
“For those who will not have been identified we will organise for a mass burial on Wednesday next week,” Mondoh added.
Residents of Sinai earlier on Thursday held protests after one body was retrieved from the river and Mondoh called for calm as the Kenya Navy has been called in to help retrieve any bodies that could still be in the Ngong River.
“We have already called in the Kenya navy to help in getting any more bodies that could be in the river, so I am appealing to people to remain calm as the government tries its best,” he reiterated.
Sad news however was reported from the Kenyatta National Hospital as five more people succumbed to the injuries sustained in the fire on Monday bringing the total number of those who have died at the KNH to 17.
According to Dr Loice Kahoro a plastic surgeon at the hospital most for those who have died while receiving treatment died due to injuries to their airways.
Kahoro said that the hospital still has 54 patients admitted.
“So far because of the severity of the burns and the inhalation injury in burns some of the survivors have become so sick, we lost five more survivors on Wednesday night,” she said.
Thursday morning the displaced families currently being sheltered at the Tom Mboya social hall received supplies of blankets, spraying machines and mobile toilets from the minister for public health to avert any outbreak of diseases in the camp.
The Kenyatta National Hospital also continued receiving donations form individuals, corporates and even Kenya’s development partners.
Israeli through its designate ambassador Gill Haskel donated dress material for burns, intravenous and oral antibiotics.
Haskel promised that Israel will cooperate with the government of Kenya and to foster disaster preparedness in Kenya.
“Sinai is where our people got the Ten Commandments from God, it is very a symbolic response, the state of Israel will contribute to Kenya in emergency preparedness,” he affirmed.
Experts from India will also be flow into the country by the national carrier Kenya Airways to help administer specialized care to the burn victims.
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