A private petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas facility on Edibe Edibe Street in Calabar South Local Government Area was decimated on Saturday following a severe explosion that left multiple individuals injured and displaced.
The incident, which occurred at the Fonex Gas Station, triggered a massive fire that rapidly spread through the facility’s fuel and gas storage units. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the resulting inferno consumed the primary structures of the station and several vehicles parked within the premises.
Situated within a densely populated residential and commercial neighborhood, the fire extended beyond the facility’s boundaries, impacting adjacent shops and residential buildings. The escalation of the blaze forced hundreds of business owners and local residents to abandon their properties in search of safety.
Medical reports from the scene confirm that several victims sustained varying degrees of burns and trauma-related injuries. While some individuals with minor injuries received immediate first aid at nearby patent medicine stores, those with more critical conditions were transported to secondary health facilities within the state capital for emergency clinical intervention.
In the immediate aftermath of the blast, local residents expressed significant concern over the delayed arrival of official emergency responders. In the absence of the state fire service during the early stages of the fire, community members mobilized to contain the flames using sand, water, and other improvised suppression materials to prevent the fire from reaching further into the residential block.
The chaotic environment also led to reports of secondary security breaches. Witnesses observed individuals identified as hoodlums exploiting the situation to loot merchandise from the affected shops and salvaged equipment from the destroyed gas station before security agencies could establish a perimeter.
The precise cause of the explosion remains a subject of ongoing investigation, with conflicting preliminary reports emerging from the site. Some onlookers attributed the spark to the use of a mobile device near a gas dispensing point during a transfer operation, while others suggested the possibility of an electrical malfunction or the failure of pressurized equipment within the storage area.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the Cross River State Command, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, confirmed that a detachment of officers had been deployed to the area to restore order and prevent further looting. ASP Akata further noted that the command was actively coordinating with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies to mobilize additional fire-fighting personnel and equipment to the scene.
The incident highlights growing concerns regarding the safety of siting highly flammable gas and petrol stations within high-density residential zones in Nigerian urban centers. Previous maritime and terrestrial safety audits in Cross River have frequently cited the need for stricter enforcement of buffer zones between energy retail outlets and domestic dwellings.
Authorities are expected to conduct a comprehensive forensic assessment of the site once the area is fully cooled and secured. State emergency management officials have indicated that a formal report on the total extent of property damage and the final casualty count will be released following the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry.
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