President Magufuli yesterday visited Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam to console victims of the oil tanker explosion which occured on Saturday in Morogoro, leaving 71 people dead.
Reports as of yesterday evening indicated that the number of those who were seriously burnt and referred to the national health facility reached 43 while 16 others were nursing wounds at the Morogoro Referral Hospital.
Shortly after the incident, the Head of the State sent a condolence message to the families of the bereaved families and wished those who sustained injuries speedy and full recovery. Plus, he declared a three-day national mourning that ends today with flags being displayed at half-staff.
President Magufuli spent a good part of yesterday at MNH, moving from one bad to another, consoling the victims. He gave 500,000/- to each patient as he directed the hospital management to issue first class treatment to all of them.
Speaking at the national health facility, Dr Magufuli reiterated the warning he gave on Saturday through a media statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communications. He warned against looting fuel from damaged vehicles, hinting that some vehicles carried toxic dangerous chemicals or explosives.
Dr Magufuli however called upon Tanzanians to refrain from the tendency of drawing conclusion that all victims were thieves who showed up to siphon fuel from the tanker.
"I want all the explosion survivors who are nursing wounds at the hospital to get first class treatment and the government will foot all the costs," he said.
The MNH Executive Director, Prof Lawrence Museru, briefed President Magufuli that they received a total of 46 vistims from Morogoro who were gravely burnt with three of them dying at the hospital.
Dr Magufuli thanked medical experts from both Morogoro Referral Hospital and MNH and the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) for their concerted efforts in serving the blast's victims.
"SADC sympathises and remains in solidarity with the government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania during this painful and sad moment. We wish all Tanzanians courage and strenght as the Country faces this big loss."
Meanwhile, President Magufuli ordered the MNH boss to release the body of a woman who was being held at the hospital over relatives' failure to foot medical bills amounting to 5m/- Rahel Kitwai Roita wept as she briefed the Head of State and sought his intervention, explaining that she had been taking care of her mother there for a long time, and she died.
In addition to pledging to personally foot the bill, he gave her 500,000/-, over which she was tremendously delighted and grateful. Earlier, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) sent its condolences to Tanzania following the tragic incident, describing it as a loss to the region. In a condolence message, SADC chairperson and Namibian President Hage Geingob said the regional bloc had "learnt with great sorrow and sadness" of the deadly fire accident.
"This is a loss not only to Tanzanian, but to the SADC region as a whole," he said. SADC sympathises and remains in solidarity with the government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania during this painful and sad moment. We wish all Tanzanians courage and strenght as the Country faces this big loss reads statement in parts.