NNPC dismisses fears of scarcity as vessel of PMS explodes, killing 4 at Lagos depot

At least four people were killed on Monday at the Petroleum Wharf, Apapa, Lagos State, after a vessel, identified as Histria Ivory, while discharging Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol exploded.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has however assured that the incident would not lead to fuel scarcity in any part of the country, as it has enough of the product in stock.

Some hoodlums were said to have besieged the vessel to scoop fuel spilling from it around 3am while the vessel was discharging PMS. It was learnt that the action of the hoodlums ignited fire which caused an explosion that led to the death of four persons.

Efforts by the jetty’s in-house fire unit to quench the inferno proved abortive. The fire was however put off after officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, men of the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Navy were called upon.

The NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, who made this known in a statement, insisted that the fire was caused by hoodlums who interrupted the discharge of fuel.

“The NNPC has deployed a team of engineers in the jetty, while the repair of the affected parts will commence immediately. The fire was caused by the activities of hoodlums who were scooping fuel spilled from ships discharging fuel at the jetty.

“NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, who has been fully briefed on the incident, described the occurrence as unfortunate, assuring the public that the NNPC has more than 1.6bn litres of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise called petrol, enough to last for 48 days,” he said.

The corpses of the victims were said to have been deposited in a morgue.

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