The explosion shook several buildings as far as Ikoyi and
Victoria Island, according to an eyewitness account.
The explosion reportedly emanated from an oil vessel owned by
MRS Petroleum when fuel was being discharged into a depot at the jetty.
When Nigerian Tribune visited the depot area, an official of the
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said a fuel
vessel caught fire after exploding at the Tin Can Island port in Apapa area of
Lagos.
“There was a ship that was trying to discharge into an oil tank
owned by MRS and there was a fire, but I don’t yet have any details as to what
led to the fire,” he said.
He said the explosion shook many buildings, causing panic
amongst the people. “Four people were seriously wounded and they have been
rushed to the hospital while several others sustained varied degree of
injuries.
“The explosion caused many people in the area to panic as
buildings shook and a thick cloud of smoke rose into the air. Businesses in the
area, particularly affected buildings, have closed shop to avoid causalities as
fire fighters battle the fire,” he said.
The fire was put out around 12 noon.
However, the Executive Director, Shipping and Trading, MRS,
Macro Storarin told newsmen that there were no casualties, adding that the
company would commence investigation in earnest to unravel the cause of the
explosion. According to him, “the company was quick to tackle the inferno while
the injured persons have been taken to hospital for medical attention.”
Meanwhile, a member of staff of the company who pleaded
anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, confirmed to
Nigerian Tribune that the four severely wounded people are members of staff of
the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) department of MRS. He however declined
to reveal their identities.
Source: Tribune
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