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burning cistern and burnt cars in the aftermath of a blast at an industrial gas
plant in Nnewi
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The former Governor of
Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi has condoled with the families of victims of
Thursday’s fire incidence at Nnewi. Describing the incidence as “tragic and
regrettable”, Obi who said he was downcast, prayed to God to grant repose to
the dead and courage to those they left behind to bear the loss with
equanimity.
The
Nation report continues:
While
submitting that humans cannot question God in all matters, including birth and
death, Obi however advised the people to be vigilant at all times and observe
safety guides in order to avoid similar occurrence in future.
Obi
expressed solidarity with the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano,
the Igwe mof Nnewi and the entire Nnewi people, especially the Chicason Group
over the incidence.
“Nnewi
is directly affected by the unfortunate incidence, we must show solidarity with
them, bearing in mind that, as Donne John said, ‘Any man’s death diminishes me
because I am involved in mankind.’’
Describing 2015 as not so
good for Anambra State in terms of human tragedy of shocking proportion,
including, Obi said, the accident that happened at Umuchu, the one at Nanka,
the fire outbreak in several markets, Obi prayed to God to guide and guard the
State in 2016 so as not to witness such gory scenes again.
Nigerian Gas Plant Blast Claims 'Tens'
Of Lives, President Says
"Tens"
of people were killed in a huge Christmas Eve blast at an industrial gas plant
in southeastern Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari said Friday.
In
an emailed press statement, Buhari said he was "greatly shaken and shocked
by such large scale loss of human lives in a single industrial accident".
AFP
reports that the blast at the gas plant happened around noon Thursday,
engulfing the southeastern industrial city of Nnewi in black clouds of
billowing smoke and leaving some victims charred beyond recognition.
The
fire raged for hours, gutting surrounding buildings and cars, with incinerated
corpses later found face down in the smouldering rubble.
Nnewi
resident Ilochonwu Prince, who lives near the plant, said he thought a house
had collapsed when he heard the blast at around 11:30 am on Thursday.
"When
there is a sound like that you run for your life, the volume was so high,"
Prince said to AFP.
"It
was the 24th, they wanted to buy gas that they would use with their families
for Christmas," said the 26-year-old student, his voice shaking with
emotion.
"I
saw four or five bodies that were dead already, the fire burnt them to
ashes," Prince said. "Most of them there, they were people on
vacation, and they are just gone like that."
He
said no one knew what set off the explosion because "none of them that
were there survived, now nobody has a good story of what actually
happened."
Authorities
have given varying tolls.
"It
was a huge inferno," police spokesman Ali Okechukwu told AFP. "We
have found six bodies outside the perimeter, two more bodies were found in the
adjoining building, bringing the total number of casualties to eight."
Okechukwu,
who said a further six people were injured, added that an investigation into
the explosion was under way.
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'Everything was burnt' -
The
gas-fuelled fire spread to a large surrounding area instantly, National
Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman James Eze told AFP.
"About
300 metres from the gas line all the plants there were burnt, houses from 400
metres away were affected, heavy machines too," Eze said, speaking by
phone from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital where victims of the
blast were taken for treatment.
Eze
put the total number of casualties at four, barring any missing people who were
burnt without any trace.
"The
fire (was) so strong as to burn the bones into ashes, but nobody has come
forward with a missing person," Eze said.
There
were conflicting accounts too about the cause of the explosion and the
authorities have not explained what triggered it.
Some
local reports said the blast occurred after a truck was off-loading butane
cooking gas for customers stocking up on fuel for Christmas festivities.
Others
said it was set off when a leaking consignment of gas was being moved to the
company dump.
"The
cause is yet to be determined. A few people lost their lives. Some people
suffered burns of various degrees," said Anambra state governor, Willy
Obiano, who visited the scene of the accident.
A
mainly Christian city, Nnewi is known as a busy hub for trading spare vehicle
parts.
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