A gas filling station explosion in Port Harcourt Rivers State in Friday has left five persons severely injured and property worth billions in Naira gutted by fire.
According to reports, the incident occurred after the cooking gas section of the Nobpet Filling Station opposite the Air Force junction in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, exploded
Daily Trust reports that the fire incident also destroyed over eight vehicles parked near the neighbouring Ebonyi State Transport Corporation office.
It stated that it took a joint effort by the Rivers State Fire Service and the Nigerian Air Force Fire Service to bring the inferno under control
One of the victims, who is a commercial driver, Emmanuel Ninyaegwu, told newsmen that his 18-seater bus was destroyed in the fire.
Ninyaegwu stated that his pregnant wife, also narrowly escaped from the blast.
“I was getting ready to load my vehicle (from Port Harcourt to Ebonyi State). This is where we stay. As I was opening my car boot, I heard the sound of fire.
“I fell down, got up, and ran just before it blew. It damaged my vehicle. Some people got injured, including me, by God’s grace nobody died.
“Some people who got injured have been taken to the hospital. There was an ambulance that came in from the Air Force. They treated some people, but they took some to the hospital.
“Fire Service came; but their water got finished. Help came from the Air Force. And that was when they put out the fire. Before the fire service came, the people around tried to put out the fire. But they couldn’t because it was too much and everyone was running for their lives,” Ninyaegwu narrated.
Another victim, Anthony Ofoke, the supervisor of Ebonyi State Transport Corporation in Rivers State, said two of his vehicles were destroyed.
The Rivers State Police Command Spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko has confirmed the incident.
She stated that investigation was ongoing to unravel the cause of the incident.
source: Daily Trust