Fire Razes Port Harcourt Port, Destroyed Property Worth Millions of Naira

Properties evaluated at several millions of Naira were destroyed at the terminal’ A’, Berth ‘1 ‘of the Port Harcourt port last week when the terminal was engulfed by fire destroying several petroleum tankers and a bitumen loading platform.
According to eye witness account, the fire started at a petroleum loading gantry within the terminal where petroleum tanker trucks were receiving product from a tank farm at the port.

Properties evaluated at several millions of Naira were destroyed at the terminal’ A’, Berth ‘1 ‘of the Port Harcourt port last week when the terminal was engulfed by fire destroying several petroleum tankers and a bitumen loading platform.
According to eye witness account, the fire started at a petroleum loading gantry within the terminal where petroleum tanker trucks were receiving product from a tank farm at the port.
Shipping Position Daily correspondent in Port Harcourt gathered that the incident happened at the early hours of the day, specifically 6:30 am. The fire was said to have damaged the loading bay alongside the petroleum tanker trucks loading at the time and those waiting on the queue. Four other vehicles were also reported to have been consumed in the fire.
When our correspondent contacted him for comments, the Port Harcourt Port Manager, Mr. Dele Alabi confirmed the incident, even as he kept mum as to the real cause of the fire.
Mr. Alabi stated that immediately the alarm was raised about the inferno, fire fighters from the Ports Fire Service were drafted in, and they had responded promptly to put off the fire.
He said that efforts are already being intensified to unravel the cause of the fire, even as he disclosed that a separate committee by Safety Unit has already been constituted to carry out detailed report on the cause of the fire.
Alabi added that the Nigerian Ports Authority management is expected to receive detailed report of the incident within two weeks’ time.
He expressed gratitude that no life was lost to the inferno but he however confirmed that the loading bay of the terminal was badly damaged.
It was also gathered that the fire had to a large extent disrupted loading activities at the Tank Farms within the Port Harcourt Ports.