The death toll from a botched air strike on Boko Haram fighters in northeast Nigeria rose to 70 yesterday, as aid agencies indicated more could die without urgent treatment
A wounded child after an air force jet accidentally bombarded a camp for those displaced by Boko Haram Islamists, in Rann. Pic/AFP
Maidugiri: The death toll from a botched air strike on Boko Haram fighters in northeast Nigeria rose to 70 yesterday, as aid agencies indicated more could die without urgent treatment.
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Nigeria called yesterday’s incident at a camp for displaced people in Rann a mistake and blamed the “fog of war”, sparking strong condemnation from aid agencies working in the crisis-hit region.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which lost six members of its Nigerian affiliate, said: “It is estimated that 70 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded.”
ICRC surgeon Laurent Singa, part of a team dispatched to Rann shortly after the bombing, described the conditions for post-operative care as “not adequate”.
“All the patients must be evacuated to (the Borno state capital) Maiduguri as soon as possible,” he added in a statement.
Nine patients were said to be in a critical condition and were evacuated to Maiduguri on Tuesday. Forty-six of the 90 that remain were said to be “severely injured”.
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