Tag Archives: Survivors

Survivors of plane crash that wiped out football team undergo operations.

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Doctors treated traumatised survivors and an investigation was underway on Wednesday into an air crash that killed 71 people and wiped out Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer team en route to a cup final in Colombia.

Only six people; three players, a journalist and two crew members, survived the disaster on Monday when Chapecoense’s charter plane hit a mountain en route to their Copa Sudamericana showdown in Medellin city.

“Of the players, goalkeeper Jackson Follmann was recovering from the amputation of his right leg,” doctors said.

Defender Helio Neto remained in intensive care with severe trauma to his skull, thorax and lungs, while fellow defender Alan Ruschel had spine surgery.

Soldiers guarded the wreckage overnight after rescuers left, and investigators were to start work at first light.

Bolivia, where the charter company LAMIA was based, and the UK, also sent in experts to help the probe.

Prior to crashing, the BAe 146 had radioed it was having electrical problems, and weather conditions were poor but there was still no official word on the cause.

Locals are accustomed to planes flying overhead at all hours, but many were disturbed by the massive crash noise that interrupted their sleep and evening television.

“It came over my house, but there was no noise, the engine must have gone,’’ Nancy Munoz, 35, who grows strawberries in the area, said.

“I thought it was a bomb, because the FARC rebels used to attack military infrastructure here. Then we heard the rescuers arriving,’’ her husband Fabian said.

By nightfall on Tuesday, rescuers had recovered most of the bodies which were to be repatriated to Brazil and to Bolivia, where the entire plane’s nine-person crew were from.

Brazil declared three days of mourning for the victims.

Chapecoense’s opponents, Atletico Nacional of Medellin, asked for the tournament to be awarded to the Brazilians in honour of the dead.

Fellow top division Brazilian sides also showed solidarity, offering loan players to Chapecoense and urging the national federation to give it a three-year stay against relegation while the club got back on its feet.

Global soccer greats from Lionel Messi to Pele sent condolences.

It was an appalling twist to a fairy-tale story for Chapecoense, which rose since 2009 from Brazil’s fourth to top division.

Chapecoense was about to play the biggest match in its history in the first leg of the regional cup final in Medellin.

However distraught fans gathered around the team’s Conda stadium in Chapeco, a town of about 200,000 people in south Brazil.

Heartbreaking Photos From Earthquake Scene That Occurred In Italy

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At least 10 people have been killed including a young family of four after a devastating 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Italy overnight.

Panicked residents were sent fleeing into the streets of numerous towns and cities as the powerful quake brought buildings – including a hospital – crashing to the ground earlier today.

Rescuers have been seen pulling bloodied victims to safety and frantically searching for survivors after voices were heard under the rubble. So sad. More photos below…


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Man Found Alive After More Than 60 Hours In China Landslide

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Rescuers have pulled a man out alive after he was buried for more than 60 hours in a massive landslide in southern China
Rao Liangzhong of the Shenzhen Emergency Response Office says that a migrant worker, Tian Zeming, was rescued around dawn on Wednesday (Chinese time).

“He told the soldiers who rescued him, there is another survivor close by,” Xinhua said.

Firefighters had to squeeze into a narrow room around Tian and pull debris out by hand, rescuer Zhang Yabin told Xinhua.

Tian has had surgery and is in a stable condition in hospital, the Xinhua report said.
Xinhua later said that another body was also discovered, although it was not clear if that was the person to whom Tian had referred. A body was also recovered from the rubble on Tuesday.

The government has said more than 70 people are missing in China’s latest industrial disaster, although this figure continues to be revised down as authorities make contact with people who were believed to have been buried but were not.

A giant deluge of mud and construction waste from the overfull dump site buried 33 buildings at the industrial park on Sunday.
It was the second major man-made disaster in China in four months. At least 160 people were killed in massive chemical blasts in the northern port city of Tianjin in August.

Source: AP/Huff Post

Miraculous Moment When Baby Is Pulled Alive From South Sudan Plane Crash Wreckage Which Killed Over 40

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This is the tears inducing moment a baby was pulled alive from the wreckage of the cargo plane which crashed in South Sudan, killing up to 41 people.

The baby boy was plucked from the mangled fuselage after the aircraft came down near a river, scattering debris and bodies across remote farmland.
He is only survivor of the crash, as the other survivor, a crew member pulled from the wreckage later died.

The Russian-made Antonov-12 aircraft crashed along the banks of the White Nile River yesterday morning barely a mile from the airport in the capital Juba. Authorities say identifying the victims have been difficult because there was no official manifest for the flight.

 

Lagos Building Collapse Survivors Narrate How They Escaped Death

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Alhaja Fatimo Ishola from Buku Chieftancy family of Oshodi, is lucky to be alive. But her mother, Alhaja Mistura Hamomodu, the 85-year-old woman who was rescued alongside four others was not so lucky. She died hours after she was rushed to the Lagos Island General Hospital. They were both residents of the ill-fated three-storey building located at No. 87 Odunfa Street, which collapsed on Wednesday, trapping many occupants.

According to Alhaja Ishola who disclosed that she was bathing when the incident occurred, the house had been showing signs of defect, adding that her attention was called to a crack on one side of the wall before it collapsed.

Recalling how she found herself trapped under a pillar, she said that after a neighbour called her attention to the crack, she decided to have a bath and leave the house.

“Just as I made to pick my towel, I heard a loud noise and saw myself going under. Everywhere instantly became dark and I was covered with dust. I couldn’t breathe and I realised I was trapped by a pillar. At a point, I gave up and called to God to save me. It was at that point I remembered that my old mother was asleep when the incident happened.”

She said she was able to crawl out of the rubble while her mother was also rescued alive. But the woman later died at the hospital. Ishola, the only child of the deceased, blamed the death of her mother on negligence on the part of nurses and doctors at the Lagos Island Hospital.

Credit: SunOnline

China Blasts Survivor: ‘I Could Feel Death’

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The survivors of two massive explosions at a warehouse in the Chinese city of Tianjin have told how they had thought they were experiencing an earthquake or a bomb.

The blasts tore through an industrial area at the port late on Wednesday, killing 44 people – including at least a dozen firefighters – and injuring more than 500.

Vast areas of the port, which is the 10th largest in the world, were ruined, shipping containers crumpled, hundreds of new cars destroyed and buildings left as burnt-out shells.

Tianjin resident Zhang Siyu, who lives several kilometres from the site of the explosions, said she had rushed downstairs in her house without her shoes on because she “thought it was an earthquake”.

“There was the huge fireball in the sky with thick clouds.”

Picture: Tianjin Warehouse Explosions

Ms Zhang said she could see wounded people crying, adding: “I could feel death.”

Han Xiang said: “It was like the earthquake back in 1976 with glass breaking.

“But then there was a huge mushroom cloud so we thought we were also in a war.”

Hairdresser Wu Dejun, 38, said “My first reaction was to run as fast as I could and get down on the ground to save my life.

“When I escaped, I had blood all over me.”

Guan Xiang, 24, who lives four miles from the explosion site, told Reuters: “I was sleeping when our windows and doors suddenly shook as we heard explosions outside.

“I first thought it was an earthquake.”

Vafa Anderson lives with his wife about 1km from the explosion and said the windows were blown out of their apartment “like a bomb”, leaving him injured by flying glass.

Picture: Tianjin Blasts Visible From Space

He told BBC Radio 4: “I thought some sort of bomb went off. It was a very very loud, disorienting blast that just put me in a state of shock for a couple of minutes. I didn’t know what to do, it was so loud.”

Mr Anderson was treated at a local school because the hospitals were already full but he praised the police and firefighters for their response to the explosions, saying they are “very organised and out in force”.

He tweeted: “I went back to the apartment – glass and blood everywhere. Wall collapsed, doors blown off the hinges.

“Many (people have been) donating blood at the hospitals.

“An eight-year-old boy needed A- blood and a donor was found within minutes on (messaging app) WeChat.”

Volunteers were out directing traffic on the city’s roads and distributing water to upset relatives in the hospital. Outside the hospital they set up tents and served food.

Lines of taxis calling themselves the “Love Team” waited with red ribbons tied to their antennas, offering free rides to friends and relatives of those in hospital.

Source – news.sky. com

Bristow Helicopter Pledges Assistance To Survivors, Deceased Families

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Bristow Helicopter Limited on Thursday promised to assist survivors and families of the dead victims of its ill-fated chopper that plunged into the lagoon on Wednesday in Lagos.

Bristow Regional Director for Africa Duncan Moore made the pledge in a statement in Lagos.

“Our thoughts are with those affected by the unfortunate accident. We regret the loss of lives in the air crash and we are ready to assist them with our full resources.

“Our highest priority is to take care of our crew and clients and their family members and provide them with any assistance needed.

“Our personnel are currently working to confirm the number of people on board, their identities and the extent of any injury,” he said.

Read More: ngrguardiannews

Malaysia Confirms Plane Debris Washed Up On Reunion Island Is From Flight MH370

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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed that the wreckage found on Reunion Island last week belongs to the Malaysia Airlines plane that went missing with 239 passengers and crew on board in March, 2014.

“The international team of experts have conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370,” he said in a televised statement

Below is the Prime Minister’s statement in full: On 8 March 2014, flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared. The days, weeks and months that followed have been a period of torment for the families of those on board.

The plane’s disappearance was without precedent. At every stage, we followed the tiny amount of evidence that existed. But, despite the efforts of 26 nations and the largest search in aviation history, from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, the plane could not be located. Neither could investigations by the world’s leading aviation experts answer why MH370 veered off course and went dark. While the plane’s disappearance remained a mystery, we have shared the anguish of those who could find no comfort.

Last week, on 29th July, we were informed by the French authorities that part of an aircraft wing had been found on Reunion, the French island in the Indian Ocean. Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that an international team of experts have conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370. We now have physical evidence that, as I announced on 24th March last year, flight MH370 tragically ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

This is a remote, inhospitable and dangerous area, and on behalf of Malaysia I would like to thank the many nations, organisations and individuals who have participated in the search.

Missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 Plane Wreckage Found Off The Coast Of Africa?

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Almost a year since the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flight vanished mid-air during flight to China, wreckage found of the coast of Africa Officials revealed might be that of the missing plane.

The debris, discovered near to the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, is that of a Boeing 777, investigators confirmed.

The Malaysia Airlines jet – also a Boeing 777 – is thought to have come down in the same ocean on
March 8 last year.

Officials at Boeing have assessed photographs of the wreckage and agreed it is consistent with a 777 flaperon, part of the plane’s wing, CNN reported citing sources close the investigation.

CNN added that there is a “unique element’ to the Boeing 777 flaperon which is apparent in the photographs, although they did not elaborate on what the detail is.

It would be recalled tha The plane was flying from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Beijing, China, when it is thought to have come down in the Indian Ocean on March 8 last year.

Police carry a piece of debris from an unidentified aircraft found in the coastal area of Saint-Andre de la Reunion

There were 239 passengers and crew – most of whom were from China – on board when it disappeared.

MH370 vanished from radar screens shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

My Mother’s Last Moments — Dr Adadevoh’s Son, Bankole

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Bankole, the only son of the late Dr. Stella Adadevoh, has opened up on the last moments of  his mum and her heroic efforts in the country’s fight against Ebola.

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Bankole Cardoso. I am the son of Dr. Stella Ameyo Adadevoh.I am an entrepreneur and I launched a company called Easy Taxi in Nigeria.

Everyone sees your mum as a heroine for the role she played in stopping the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the country. Do you also see her as such?

She was indeed extremely special and what she did was heroic. Despite the pressure and stress she was under, she was just concerned for Nigeria at the time. She kept saying, ‘I hope this doesn’t stigmatise Nigeria, I hope this doesn’t give us a problem.’ To me, she is a heroine, 100 per cent.

Can you recollect her encounter with the late Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, who brought Ebola into Nigeria?

The actual story was that when this man (Sawyer) flew into Nigeria from Liberia to attend a conference, he fell ill on his arrival and was taken to First Consultants because the general hospitals were on strike. When he got there, he was first treated for malaria on a Sunday. That weekend was my dad’s 60th birthday and my mum wasn’t in the hospital. We were all at home celebrating. On that Monday, she went to the hospital and saw him. Immediately, these were her own words to me, she said she was very disturbed, because it looked as if blood was seeping through his skin. She said she knew it was not malaria. When she asked him where he had been and he said Liberia, she immediately suspected it could be Ebola. Interestingly, three months or so before, we were just watching the news when she said, “Nigeria is not prepared for Ebola.” Back then, she immediately did her research on Ebola, noting that Nigeria needed to be prepared if there was an outbreak. She printed those papers long ago. So, when this man came, she immediately suspected; although at the time, she didn’t have any positive result that it was Ebola. The Liberian officials there were very furious and said she must release him, claiming that she was holding him against his will; and she had kidnapped him. But she said she could not let him leave the hospital for the public good, and he must stay there because she suspected he had a haemorrhagic disease which was infectious.

How was that period for you and your family?

It was incredibly stressful. I hardly saw her at the time because she was always busy at the hospital, with government officials and the World Health Organisation officials, and also having to care for this sick patient. She got home at 3am every day, and was up by 7am. I couldn’t see her for about three days and with the Ebola disease, one couldn’t predict the outcome. My dad and I went to the centre at Yaba every day, but we were not allowed to come close to her. At first, we could come close to the window to see her, but eventually, we were not even allowed near the window. I didn’t see her for about 10 days while she was in there.

When last did you see her and what were her last words to you?

The last time I saw her face-to-face was the day I went to the centre to give her her footwear and her iPad. She was physically very weak. This was someone I had never seen fall sick in my life. But then, she was physically very weak. I took all the stuff to her and put it through the door, she had to go and collect it because I couldn’t go into the room. We spoke through the window, I was crying. But she was adamant, she said, “Don’t worry, son. This thing is not going to kill me, but I am very proud of you.” Those were the last words she told me. This was about 10 days before she died. The WHO doctor, Dr. David, told us that it was only a matter of time (before she died), that we should expect the call the next day or in the next week. We were waiting for the call. But he kept telling us that it was a matter of time— it was worse than receiving the actual call.

Did she influence your career path?

She has always been involved in everything I have done. She always gave me advice. Last year April, I was supposed to give a TED X talk in Abuja, and I was going to talk about patriotism in Nigeria. I told her about it, we were supposed to go together. But it was cancelled because of some issues at the time. Before then, she did research, and sent me an email on her thoughts. I still have it. She basically wrote the speech for me. Five months later at the event; after she had passed on, most of the words I used were from her. I made her the centre of the speech, that she was a patriot.

You are a scion of two powerful dynasties; your mum was the grand-daughter of Herbert Macaulay and the great, great grand-daughter of Ajayi Crowther. Do you think your mum’s part in stopping the Ebola outbreak in the country was a stroke of fate?

These things are funny. I can’t answer that but a lot of people say that. Luckily, she was prepared. That’s what I can say. We had a Nigerian that was prepared. Maybe it’s her lineage, I don’t know, that’s what people say. I wished it wasn’t her, but I am thankful for what she did (for the country). Till today, I still get telephone calls from her patients, because they had a special bond with her. She was great in what she did. She didn’t need this to stand out or stamp her greatness.

A health trust has been named after your mum, what is it about?

The Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh Health Trust is strictly a non-profit organisation. After going through this very difficult time, my family and I decided to set up this trust. We have done a lot of research and we have met with the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other big international organisations; and we have decided to focus on training and ethics, because my mother believed in these. She used to quiz her doctors all the time, and gave them homework; things to read and she asked them questions. She recognised the challenges in our health care system.

Was your family stigmatised in any way at the time?

We were not stigmatised outrightly but we did our best to keep away from people. People wanted to visit us at home then but we said no, they had to stay away. We needed to be responsible. My father and I were placed under quarantine for 21 days. I didn’t know at that time that I would be alive today. But people were very kind to us and showed their support for us.

Were you scared of dying?

I was scared of falling ill, but I was never scared of dying because I didn’t think I would die.

What are some of the values you have learnt from your mother?

I wrote down the five main lessons I learnt from her— how to be a good person, because she cared for everybody. There is a disabled man on our street who came around every Sunday. She bought him a wheelchair, and she always gave him money and showed him care. She also taught me how to be incredibly strong, and how to get things done. If she wanted to do something today, she got it done. She taught me how to enjoy life, she loved enjoying life, and she enjoyed it to the fullest. Also, she taught me the importance of faith because faith is the bedrock of life.

How did she create time for the family?

As a busy doctor, till today, I don’t know how she did it. I don’t know how we shared her with many people. She had a huge heart and had time for everybody.

Where did she usually take you out to?

We went out visiting family or some came around to visit us. When I lived in the US, whenever she came around, we would go to see Broadway shows. Also, she loved shopping. We would go out shopping together. We would take walks in the park, and go to the museum; those were the kind of things she enjoyed— museums, arts, history and theatre.

What kind of reaction do you get when people realise that you are Dr. Stella Adadevoh’s son?

They say, “Oh, I’m so sorry, she was an amazing woman, she was this and that.” I’m used to it now. Initially, when the episode was still very fresh, I didn’t want to hear that. Now, I’m happy to hear it.

Would you say your mum’s name has opened doors for you?

While she was here, she opened all the doors for me, with everything I did in life. When I started my own company here, she wrote down a list of about 50 people I should visit. She would hand every patient of hers my company’s flyer. It’s amazing that she continues to open doors for me after her death. Her name is still opening doors for me.

Are you still angry with Sawyer, the man that brought Ebola to Nigeria?

I have overcome the anger. I don’t think anybody would ever know his real motive of coming to Nigeria. But I think his actions were completely irresponsible. That’s how I would leave it.

How long were you angry with him?

I was angry at him, I was angry at God, I was angry at many things. But one had to channel it into something positive like the health trust. And that’s what I’m dedicated to and focused on now, full time. Like we would always say, if my mother was here now, she would have forgiven him (Sawyer). I can never forget what happened, it’s going to be a part of my life forever, but I forgive him. My dad also feels the same way.

How do you think she should be remembered?

She was the person that bonded our family together. She was incredibly dedicated to family and everybody understood that and appreciated that about her. She was just the most loving person you could think about. That’s how I remember her. Beyond that, Nigerians recognise that if it wasn’t for her correct diagnosis, we would not have had elections; we would not be where we are today. I think that is a legacy. She prevented us from going backwards. Our way of immortalising her is by continuing what she would have done, making that same impact on people’s lives and on the medical profession, subsequently, the whole country. That’s why we have set up the health trust in her name. Government and other people can do what they think is right to immortalise her. I think the way government could immortalise her is by revamping the health sector, and improving on health care in the country. There should be a change, for such not to happen in Nigeria again.

How have you and your family coped since her death?

To lose a parent, especially in that way, is incredibly painful. The first three or four months were just hard. But, luckily, there was a lot of family support, everybody pulled very close together, and I drew on my faith as well. It’s something one cannot explain. Yes, people fall ill, and they have maybe one or two years for a chance to say goodbye; but in this case, it was so quick. There was no chance (for us) to say goodbye to her, properly.

What do you miss most about her?

The love. It was like she used to bug me and I miss that. I miss her phone calls every day, three or four times a day, and I would say, ‘mum, I’m busy,’ and she would call me again. I’m happy that we always used to express our love for each other. She knew I loved her, I still do.

Starved Survivors Tell Of Hell As Boko Haram Hostages

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Zara Malam’s son Mohammed was just five months old when Boko Haram stormed their village in northeastern Nigeria and carried them off to their stronghold in the Sambisa forest.

After several months as a hostage, the boy’s head is enlarged from malnutrition and crinkled skin sags from the joints of his tiny, boney body.

“They (Boko Haram) did nothing for my son and the same for the other children… No food, no clothing, no water… Not a single thing,” she says as she sits nursing him under her long hijab on the floor of the Federal Medical Centre in Yola.

Zara is one of 15 women hostages injured by gunshots or landmines when Nigerian troops freed them after storming Boko Haram bases in the forest last week.

But even here in the relative safety of Yola in neighbouring Adamawa state, they still have to have armed guards on the door.

“We were so happy when the soldiers came. Now, I just want him to get well,” the 25-year-old told AFP.

Zara and some of the other women sit on the ward floor, leaving the beds to the more badly injured. Cradled in their arms, are emaciation, hollow-eyed children being treated for severe malnutrition and dehydration.

Emaciated children

The former hostages were brought to the hospital on Tuesday from the Malkohi Camp on the outskirts of Yola, where 275 women and children arrived on Saturday after their rescue from the Sambisa Forest in neighbouring Borno province.

Four other emaciated children were brought to hospital at the same time. They, too, seem too weak to cry, unlike the “unaccompanied” young boys and girls, whose wailing cuts through the air.

“When they (the rescued hostages) arrived there were not less than 100 children,” said nurse Ruth Ugwu, who works at the camp’s clinic.

“When we started screening, we discovered that 31 were acutely malnourished, all of them under the age of five.”

Some are now gaining weight through a diet of powdered milk, vitamins, juice and oatmeal supplied by local, national and international aid agencies, she added.

The prognosis for all the children now in hospital is good, including Mohammed.

“They should be OK,” said Ugwu.

Over-stretched? 

Clearly efforts are being made to help the former hostages recover both physically and mentally. ADSEMA, its federal equivalent and organisations such as the Nigerian Red Cross are all involved.

But the violence in the north of Adamawa and across Borno and Yobe states has seen Yola’s population swell by hundreds of thousands because of its reputation as a safe haven.

Many are staying with host families or friends in the city.

With no indication of when it will be safe for refugees to return, local resources are stretched, volunteers said, with more supplies and longer-term support required.

An ambulance wasn’t available to take Mohammed and the other malnourished children to hospital, so Turai Kadir did it herself. “They were in the camp for four days without doctors,” the community worker said, shaking her head.

“There should be doctors for women and children to see them first before camping them in a room. Health should be a priority…

“The government can’t take care of the IDPs (internally displaced people).”

Credit: AFP

Boko Haram Survivors Talk About Their Ordeal (WATCH VIDEO)

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Several hundred people rescued by Nigeria’s military from Boko Haram strongholds are now recovering in clinics. The fight against the armed group Boko Haram in Nigeria continues.

In recent days, the Nigerian military has been able to rescue several hundred people that were held captive by the group. Now, the hostages are trying to adjust to a life of freedom.

Watch Video

See Shocking Images Of Sambisa Forest Survivors

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The Nigerian military has released heart-wrenching images of what it says are survivors rescued from the notorious Sambisa forest where they were held hostage by Boko Haram insurgents. The military released the images on Thursday. The images show women and children, most of them malnourished, suggesting the survivors were kept under extremely terrible conditions.

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Baga: Survivors Tell Their Story

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Some of the Baga survivors have arrived the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, and are currently in a displaced persons camp, which is a newly completed housing estate built by the state government and named after Shettima Ali Monguno, Nigeria’s former Minister of Mines and Power.

While narrating his ordeal, Yahaya Takakumi, a 55-year-old farmer who lived in Doro-Baga for over 25 years, said he escaped with one of his wives when the insurgents attacked.

“I and one of my wives, who was able to escape with me, spent four days in the bush running for dear life and safety,” the farmer said. “I thank God I have arrived here safely but I still have not seen four of my children, my second wife and my elder brother who is a blacksmith in Baga.”

Mr. Takakumi said he fears for the life of his brother after hearing of other attacks.

“Some people said they saw my brother near Daban-Shata some days ago but everyone from that area said the Boko Haram gunmen had carried out a massive massacre of people in Daban-Shata and I fear for his life because only God can say the number of persons that got killed in that part of Baga district.

The survivor said the insurgents “would lay in ambush on the water path and once a boat on canoe comes with fleeing residents, they attack and shoot them all.

“The killings were not done in a day, but that of the first day was massive, both soldiers and our local people were killed; even after they had taking over Baga they kept on attacking other neighbouring villages in the following days.”

Another survivor, Ibrahim Gambo, told PREMIUM TIMES that he was still searching for his wife and daughter at the camp.

According to him, he was part of the vigilante, called Civilian-JTF, in Baga that initially confronted the Boko Haram gunmen before they were over powered.

“In Baga, almost every able-bodied male who is grown up and matured is a member of the vigilante; and most of us have charms that defy guns and bullet”, the 25-year-old truck driver said.

“That was why when the fighting started we were able to arrest many Boko Haram gunmen who we disarmed and even killed some that tried to resist us violently.”

Mr. Gambo said it was the intervention of the soldiers that made them withdraw their onslaught on the insurgents.

“We were actually making great inroad in dealing with the insurgents when the soldiers of the Multi-National Joint Task Force asked us to withdraw that an Air Force fighter jet would soon come,” he said. “Shortly after that, the Boko Haram stormed into Baga almost from all directions; shooting, killing at will. We had no choice than to join others to run.”

The survivor also narrated what he witnessed while escaping.

“We came across many dead bodies, some in groups and others by themselves in the bush; I saw dead children and women – and even a pregnant woman with her stomach slit open.

“We saw a large boat carrying over 25 persons and all of them shot dead; those whose bodies defy guns or bullets, would be tied up and dipped into the Lake water until they die”.

While speaking on the death toll, Mr. Gambo said he could not ascertain the casualty figure.

“All I know is that the death toll is well over 500 because I have seen several groups of killed villagers and the least of such group were five persons,” he said. “The number could be more because it was not all that fled from Baga that was able to make it to Maiduguri.”

Also speaking on the massacre, the District Head of Baga, Baba Abba Hassan, said the casualty was much but not up to 2000.

“Killing 2000 people is not a small number…2000 it is a very large number,” he said from the displaced persons camp.

“All I know as the District Head of Baga to whom most of my people report, hundreds of our people have killed by the Boko Haram and most of our communities on the island of the Lake (Chad) have been attacked and completely destroyed.

“But I cannot tell you the actual number of people killed because many were pursued to the bushes and killed…I can say hundreds have been killed so far. They include women and children,” he said.

He added that the terrorists, who have since taken over Baga and other nearby communities, were well prepared when they came attacking.

”They came with dozens of vehicles and first attacked the Multi-National Joint Task Force location,” he said. “There was resistance initially, especially by the Civilian-JTF but later, the insurgents had upper hand, especially when the armed soldiers had to start fleeing when there was not reinforcement.”

Mr. Hassan added that “hundreds of people are now taking refuge in Maiduguri while the Borno State government had been sending buses to the bushes to rescue the displaced that were trying to get to the city by foot.”

Credit: premiumtimesng.com