Mozambique Grain Terminal Fire Death Toll Crosses 15
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Friday, December 18, 2015
On 13 December 2015, there was a fire and explosion at the STEMA grain terminal in Matola, part of the Maputo port complex in Mozambique.
Police authorities in Mozambique have said the death toll from the fire has risen to 15. As a result of the fire, the grain unloading and transport system at the terminal was severely damaged.
The Maputo provincial police spokesperson, Juarce Martins is quoted by state controlled daily paper, Noticias on Wednesday as saying charred bodies, some of them unrecognizable, have been pulled from the waters of Maputo Bay, and taken to the morgue at Maputo Central Hospital.
Police say the bodies are those of thieves who attempted to steal fuel from a pipeline running past the grain terminal. The authorities are urging relatives of the victims to visit the morgue urgently to identify the dead.
The investigations are ongoing as to the cause of the incident however it is suspected that illegal activities including attempted fuel theft from the terminal stores may have been the primary cause.