52 killed, 120 injured in 'misfire,' MSF confirms

(Endowed Blogs.) 

The accidental strike carried out by the Nigerian Airforce on Tuesday, January 17, killed at least 52 civilians.

Humanitarian organization, Doctors Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) otherwise known as Doctors Without Borders confirmed the death toll in a statement issued to the media in Borno state on Tuesday.

It said 120 people were also injured.

The MSF said its workers are already providing first aid to the 120 injured persons while calling on immediate evacuation of those in need to emergency care.

"The safety of civilians must be respected. We are urgently calling on all parties to ensure Bomb victims the facilitation of medical evacuations by air or road for survivors who are in need of emergency care," MSF’s Director of Operations, Jean-Clément Cabrol said.

The mistaken bomb was dropped on an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Rann, headquarters of Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.

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The Theatre Commander of Nigerian forces in Borno, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, confirmed that he authorised the bombing.

In a statement issued after the strike, Irabor said: "This morning (Tuesday), we received reports about gathering of Boko Haram terrorists somewhere in Kala Balge Local Government area of Borno State. We got a coordinate and I direced that the air should go to address the problem.

"Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected."

Over 24 hours later, the Commander, who also said two soldiers were killed in the incident, is yet to release details of the casualties.

In his reaction shortly after the accident became public, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed regrets over the 'misfire' and condoled with the victims.