{"id":50956,"date":"2024-01-24T15:42:26","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T15:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy"},"modified":"2024-01-24T16:37:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T16:37:55","slug":"totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy","title":{"rendered":"Totota struggles with stigma following tanker tragedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. <\/strong><\/span> <\/b><\/p>\n

The December 26, 2023, devastating explosion of a tanker in the lower Bong County city of Totota has unleashed a profound psychological impact on the residents.<\/p>\n

They are grappling with grief and emotional trauma in the aftermath of the tragedy as the death toll surpasses 100.<\/p>\n

The community finds itself burdened not only by the weight of loss but also by accusations they term as baseless from outsiders, who claim that the victims died because they were allegedly stealing gas\u2014a stigmatizing narrative that further compounds the residents\u2019 psychological distress.<\/p>\n

The incident which occurred on December 26, 2023, just after the celebration of Christmas, rocked the city, engulfing the vicinity in a blaze of flames.<\/p>\n

Some residents were seen with empty containers and buckets collecting gas from the tanker which accidentally fell about three hours before it exploded.<\/p>\n

However, the loss of lives has left families shattered while subjecting the community to unwarranted criticism and claims.<\/p>\n

External sources have propagated the narrative that the victims were involved in gas theft\u2014a habit allegedly attributed to residents who allegedly exploit accident victims along the route.<\/p>\n

These allegations have sparked outrage within the community, intensifying their grief and amplifying the psychological burden they bear.<\/p>\n

Patience Sinyea, one of the Survivors said not everyone who went there had the intention of taking gas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not criminals, we do not take advantage of accident situations, so all those who are spreading lies about us should stop,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I was standing and watching from a little distance that is the reason I even survived,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Adolphus Joe, a local community leader, expressed deep frustration, stating, \u201cThey keep making us shame, everywhere I go, I keep hearing these things about us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe deserve respect and an end to these lies. I agree that there were some people taking gas from the tanker, but it was because of the leakage. When it started leaking,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n

Alexander Flomo, a graduate of Cuttington University whose brother died in the explosion said, \u201cWe are shattered by the loss of our loved ones, and instead of finding solace and support, we are subjected to unfounded accusations and scorn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like salt on our wounds, making it even harder to cope with the pain,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

In response to the profound psychological impact on the residents, local authorities have swiftly initiated essential support measures.<\/p>\n

Counseling services, helplines, and support groups have been established to assist survivors in navigating their grief and trauma.<\/p>\n

As the healing process unfolds, leading human rights defender, Jessic B. Cole said society must rally together, providing empathy, understanding, and unwavering support to the affected residents.<\/p>\n

He said by fostering a sense of collective healing, dispelling stigma, and nurturing resilience within Totota, it is hoped that the profound psychological impact can be gradually overcome.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Liberia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. The December 26, 2023, devastating explosion of a tanker in the lower Bong County city of Totota has unleashed a profound psychological impact on the residents. They are grappling with grief and emotional trauma in the aftermath of the tragedy as the death toll surpasses 100. The community finds itself burdened not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":50955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[233,237,234],"class_list":["post-50956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-liberia","tag-liberia"],"yoast_head":"\nTotota struggles with stigma following tanker tragedy - Liberia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The December 26, 2023, devastating explosion of a tanker in the lower Bong County city of Totota has unleashed ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Totota struggles with stigma following tanker tragedy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The December 26, 2023, devastating explosion of a tanker in the lower Bong County city of Totota has unleashed ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Liberia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-24T15:42:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-24T16:37:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/sm_1706101519.628124.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"556\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Totota struggles with stigma following tanker tragedy\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-24T15:42:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-24T16:37:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy\"},\"wordCount\":486,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/liberia\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/sm_1706101519.628124.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Liberia\",\"Liberia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/totota-struggles-with-stigma-following-tanker-tragedy\",\"name\":\"Totota struggles with stigma following tanker tragedy - 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