MSF Assists in Treating Victims of DRC Fuel Tanker Disaster

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is supporting the hospital in Uvira, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after a fuel tanker crashed and exploded in the nearby village of Sange late last week.

Over the weekend, 43 people with severe burns were admitted to Uvira General Hospital. Three more people with severe burns were transferred from a hospital in Lemura to Uvira this week. MSF sent two doctors to the hospital to assist the Ministry of Health in treating the wounded, and also donated medical materials. The crash killed up to 242 people and left countless people injured.

MSF transported a number of wounded patients to the two referral hospitals in the provincial capital, Bukavu; 12 were brought to the General Hospital in Bukavu for continued treatment of severe burns, and 15 were brought to Panzi Hospital.

Coordination of the emergency aid effort has been through the provincial governor’s office.