Medical Director of the Police Hospital said seven members of the police have been killed and around 250 sustained severe and light injuries as a result of the attacks launched by rioters by gun shots, hand grenades and stones during the CUD-instigated violence in Addis Ababa city.

In a press briefing he gave to journalists yesterday the Medical Director, Commander Dr. Bahiru Alemayehu said several police members have sustained varying degrees of injuries from bullets fired as well as hand grenades and stones thrown by rioters on November 1 and 2, 2005.

According to the medical director, among the 35 police members that were attacked on November 1st, one reached the hospital dead, while two others who were attacked by a hand grenade reached hospital losing consciousness.

The medical director also said on November 2, some 51 police members were attacked, of whom one police lost his life, while three others sustained severe injuries.

He added that the remaining five police members died as a result of the bullets fired and hand grenades thrown at them while they were on duty.

The medical director also said there are currently many police members at the hospital who have sustained various physical injuries.

One of the police members who sustained severe injury has not yet regained his consciousness even at the seventh day since he was admitted to the hospital, the medical director said, adding another police who is in a similar state regains his consciousness intermittently.

Those police members who sustained light injuries have received treatment and returned to their sections, Dr. Bahiru said, adding they have been given five to ten days of sick leave.

The body of the police member who lost his life on November 1st was sent to his family, where his burial was conducted, while the burial of the police member who died on November 2 was conducted on the following day.

The total number of police members who received treatment at the hospital reaches around 250, the medical director said, adding the hospital has also provided medical services for individuals who were injured while participating in the violence.

One of the police members who sustained injury, a 23-year-old Constable Tesfai Abraha said he was on duty to quell the riot around Shiro Meda when he was attacked by a hand grenade thrown from rioters.

Another police member, a 20-year-old Atanew Tamir also said he was on duty to maintain stability when he was shot and wounded by a bullet fired by rioters.

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