Gas Explosion In Calabar Injures 38, Razes Buildings

The Police Command in Cross River State has confirmed that 38 people sustained varying degrees of burns following a gas explosion on Saturday in Calabar.

ASP Sunday Eitokpah, the state police spokesman, told newsmen that no fatalities have been recorded so far. The explosion razed a gas station and nearby residential buildings.

“The victims have been taken to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for medical attention,” he said, adding that gas leakage caused the explosion in Edibe Edibe, a densely populated area in Calabar South Local Government Area.

Eitokpah explained that the incident occurred at about 10:00 a.m. when a gas station attendant attempted to transfer gas from a storage tank to a service tank. In the process, the gas hose detached, leading to a rapid leak of fumes.

“All attempts to secure the storage tap were unsuccessful. The leak happened too quickly to alert residents. The area erupted in flames, resulting in significant property damage, the value of which is currently unquantified,” he said.

He assured that the police command was in full control of the situation to safeguard lives and property.

When contacted, Mrs. Olumayowa Olomola, Commanding Officer of the Federal Fire Service in Cross River, said the service could not respond due to a faulty fire truck. “Our truck was vandalised by hoodlums during a recent operation in Calabar. Some of our personnel were injured too, so we couldn’t respond,” she explained.

Similarly, Mr. Emmanuel Ajom, Director of the Cross River Fire Service, said that their fire trucks, procured about 14 years ago, were undergoing routine maintenance, preventing immediate response to the inferno.