Explosion Rocks Total Petroleum Tank Farm At Ijora

There was pandemonium around Total Petroleum tank farm and filling station at Ijora axis of Apapa in the early hours of yesterday when two trucks loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol exploded, causing port operators and others to scamper.

The highly populated area is occupied by the Total Petroleum tank farm, a gas depot, a Total filling station and the Lillypond Container Terminal.

Shipping Position Daily correspondent who was at the scene of the explosion reported that clearing agents as well as officers of the Lillypond Command of the Nigeria Customs Service who were close to the depot, took to their heels and absconded from work throughout yesterday.
According to security operatives at the scene, the fire started at about 5am on Wednesday and it was battled by fire fighters until around 12 noon.

A police officer who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the fire was caused by miscreants and tanker drivers who were carrying out fuel siphoning and transactions very close to the fuel depot. The fire was further aided by the fire from food vendors and other canteens which usually line up along the ever-busy road.

"The place is a "no parking" area, but the boys draining fuel and transferring into gallons are always there, the people around responded and put out the fire, but no sooner had they done that, the boys resumed with their normal activities, the fire started again as a result of a charcoal covered underground" the source said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Western ports; Mr. Kayode Aderanti who was at the scene of the explosion told Shipping Position Daily that arrangement has been made to evacuate food vendors and other illegal activities from the area.

He said that Police officers and Naval officers from NNS Beecroft of the Western Naval Command are on standby in case of eventualities.

While addressing the tanker drivers and food sellers, he told them to vacate the premises of the depot in order to avoid future disaster.

"You people should adjust, go and look for another place to sell"

"There is still fire under the charcoal, for the past 40 minutes, I have been there, we are trying to kill the charcoal fire, the situation there now is still not yet 100% safe"

"The long and short of it is that these shops will have to go in the interest of everybody" Aderanti stated.
The two tankers exploded and several shops were razed down around the depot, but the depot was not affected before the fire was put off due to quick response from fire department.

Responding also, the Customs Area Controller in charge of Lillypond Command; Mrs Isa Tallatu recounted the ordeal of officers and operators at the area when the second explosion went-off at 9am.

Tallatu who was represented by Deputy Controller in charge of Administration, Ozoemena J.O at the monthly stakeholders' meeting of the command yesterday, said that everyone in the area took to their heels and ran away when the explosion occured. Tallatu said it took several appeals to stakeholder before they could go back to their normal businesses.

"Our office is a volatile environment, we are highly exposed, we need to be more security-conscious, if not for divine intervention, the fire could have been worse" she said.