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Honorable Mention: Pile of shit
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2009 They never learn
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the story says it all
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Darwin Awards
2009 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Oil Tanker Explosion

2009 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

An oil spill ignition occurred in Sachangwan (Molo District), Kenya, on 31st January 2009 and resulted in the deaths of about 140 people and critical injuries to over 200 more. The incident occurred when an oil spill from an overturned truck burst into flames as curious onlookers attempted to obtain remnants of the spilled fuel for personal use or sale. Rescuers suggested an individual may either have accidentally discarded a cigarette amidst the oil or become angered at a police blockade and sought vengeance. Shortly after the truck overturned, the community members from the surrounding villages moved to the accident scene with all sorts of empty containers to attempt to scoop the spilt fuel. It is reported that at between 6.30 PM and 7.00 PM, an explosion occurred while people were still scrambling for spilt fuel. The ensuing fire engulfed all the people who had gathered around the spilt fuel killing 100 people almost instantly (95 died at the scene and 5 in hospitals in Nakuru and Nairobi). Over 238 people escaped with burns that ranged from very severe (over 99%) to minor burns. Additional deaths continued to be reported in the days that followed the incident. The final death toll from this accident is reported at 140.

Barely two days after the Sachangwan fire disaster, a huge crowd turned up on 2 February 2009 to siphon fuel from a lorry that was involved in an accident along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway. Residents thronged the scene with jerry cans after word went round that an oil tanker had rolled and that it was leaking fuel. The incident happened at Section 58, in Nakuru town, an estimated 32 kilometres from the scene of Saturday evening’s tanker tragedy.

Another incident was reported in Naivasha District as hundreds of residents scrambled for spilt cooking oil after a train ferrying over 100,000 litres of oil was involved in an accident in which two wagons overturned spilling the oil. Despite the chilling Molo District incident that had left close to 120 people dead, both the young and the elderly jostled to get the unrefined oil near Chechnya Village in Naivasha District. There was however no injuries reported as police were quick to warn that the product was not fit for human consumption. Despite the warnings, hundreds of locals continued to draw the oil that flowed from the wreckage.

These incidents would be understandable or even deserving of sympathy if they were the first. Apparently, the human quest for a Darwin supersedes every other desire, including life. Not many years earlier, 25 people had died in Athi River on the outskirts of Nairobi and 36 more in Ugunja on the Busia - Kisumu highway (500km from Nairobi) under similar circumstances. In both incidents, one of the would-be Darwinists threw a lit match because he felt he wasn’t getting enough access to the precious commodity. Whether it was ignorance or not, someone ought to have warned them that flammable oil and lit matches just don’t mix. As is wont to happen to happen, scores of blame were heaped upon the Minister for Internal Security. In the Sachangwan incident, the Kenyan First Lady herself demanded the minister’s resignation. Just how the minister is supposed to have been responsible for the deaths is not clear. Perhaps the Darwin’s beckoning was too strong to resist. When a few days later tankers carrying diesel overturned in Mombasa and Kisumu, despite widespread media and government admonitions, people rushed to the scene with intention. When asked on television why they risked their lives despite recent disasters, one character said it was due top poverty. And then he said with pride “Hiyo ilukwa diesel tu, hiyo haichomi. Si afadhali tufe tukijaribu kutafuta riziki kulikom kukaa bure na kufa njaa” (Swahili for: That was just diesel, which is not flammable. In any case, I’d rather die trying to earn a living than starve waiting for manna!) Oh, and I thought the reason diesel is used in engines is because it is flammable! Luckily, no one died in these two cases. But unless Kenyans change their behavior, Darwin had better reserve vacancies for Kenyans on a permanent basis because their enterprising spirit is just unbeatable.

Submitted on 10/28/2009

Submitted by: Emmanuel Emorut Ekakoro
Reference: The Daily Nation, 1st February 2009

Copyright © 2009 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Repeat
Thanks, but we received this story a number of times back when it happened. We can't accept this sort of story for a number of reasons. Among other things it's a real stretch to claim that everybody who was injured and killed was responsible for what happened to them. The chances are that at least some of them are considered innocent bystanders. And the main reason things like this happen in extremely poor countries like Kenya is because of the poverty. The people see this as a way of getting free fuel, which they are desperate for. And there's nothing even remotely amusing about living in those sorts of conditions that require you to risk your life in this sort of way.


Candi said:
Definitely Toss: Repeat
What Bruce said.


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