U.K. railway worker dies of covid-19 after man spits on her intentionally

There are various investigations about this fact. The British Prime Minister paid tribute to this employee during a speech in Parliament.

Belly Mujinga

Belly Mujinga, 47, an employee of the British railways, died of the new coronavirus in April, after a person who claimed to be infected with the virus spat on her intentionally, the sector union Association of salaried personnel of transportation (TSSA) of which she was a member said on Tuesday May 12, 2020.

She was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and living in Britain since 2000, according to The Guardian, Belly Mujinga worked at London Victoria Station. She felt the symptoms of the virus after the attack she suffered on March 22 when a man spat and coughed on on her and a colleague then he said he had the covid-19.

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She became ill after the attack

“They were in the hallway next to the counter, when they were attacked by a user who spat on them,” the TSSA union said in a press release. “A man coughed on them and told them he had the virus. The two employees who later became ill reported the incident to their superiors and called the police to inform them.”

Her cousin Agnes Ntumba and a colleague who witnessed the incident said Belly Mujinga had reported working without personal protective equipment, The Guardian reports.

A few days later, Ms. Mujinga’s doctor, noticing pre-existing respiratory problems, suggested her to leave the job, the TSSA added. She then stopped working, but her condition continued to worsen, requiring hospitalization and a respirator on April 2.

Belly Mujinga died three days later, leaving behind a husband and 11-year-old daughter, who had not been able to see her since she was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. They had just been able to video chat on WhatsApp during her hospitalization, reports The Guardian. “She was a good person, a good mother and a good wife,” said her husband, Lusamba Dildo Katalay.

The case is under investigation

Belly Mujinga’s employer, Angie Doll, the managing director of Southern Railway and Gatwick Express, which is owned by Govia, said: “We take any allegations extremely seriously, and we are investigating these claims.”

In a statement, the British transport police said they had also opened an investigation and asked for witnesses, while TSSA asked the railway transport regulator to investigate the facts.

Union general secretary Manuel Cortés has called for the families of all workers in the area killed by Covid-19 disease to receive government compensation, along with caregivers.

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“It is despicable for a key worker to be attacked in this way while serving the travelling public. Our thoughts are with Mrs Mujinga’s family at this terrible time,”said  a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who paid tribute to her on May 13 during his speech in Parliament.

Meanwhile, in response to what happened, Boris Johnson said: ‘The fact she was abused for doing her job is utterly appalling.’

Source: The Guardian

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