An oil tanker belonging to Hudson Petroleum Ltd at the weekend lost 33,000 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in an explosion.
The
oil truck exploded in front of the firm’s office making it the fifth
time such explosion occurred at the same spot with devastating effect.
The
previous explosion is reported to have claimed several lives, while
nearby kiosks and properties worth thousands of naira were destroyed..
Eye witnesses account claimed that the truck which left the Hudson farm
tank was negotiating the bend in front of the firm’s office when eight
of the tyres pull off and it somersaulted violently leading to explosion
of the oil tanker.
“At least, we know of three trucks that have
so somersaulted and exploded at this same spot”, the eye witnesses
maintained. Speaking to newsmen after the incident, Chairman of the
local branch of National Union Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr
Effiong Solomon said that, according to his members who drive such oil
trucks there are many of them which are faulty belonging to both Hudson
Petroleum Ltd and nearby Addax Petroleum Ltd at their tank farms.
The
chairman stated that the oil firms do not pay heed to such complaints,
saying it was not their business to fix faulty oil tankers but the
owners.
Commenting on the mishap, the Assistant Chief Fire
Officer of Cross River State Fire Service, Mr Effiong Joe Okon pointed
out that they were able to arrive the scene of the explosion with
minimum delay and were able to dampen the impact and quench the fire
using foam contents composed of animal by-products.
He was assisted by the NPA Fire Service as well as Hudson Fire Service.
When
contacted, Officials of Hudson Petroleum Ltd who were at the scene of
incident vehemently refused to make comments on the issue as they
claimed not to be in a proper position to make any comment on the
mishap.
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