Three staff of Adros Gas Company injured in the explosion at the plant located at the Rumuodomaya, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State last Saturday have been confirmed dead.
The deceased staff died at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), where they were being treated for the severe burns they sustained in the explosion.
They were among persons trapped in the plant by the explosion.
A staff of the gas plant who preferred his identity concealed revealed the demise of the three staff had sealed up the number of fatalities.
“Three of them didn’t survive the burns. They died at UPTH (University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital)”, the source said.
He also confirmed that the plant had since been sealed off by the relevant authorities.
According to him, officials of Rivers State Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), are investigating the cause of the explosion, while also trying to ascertain if operators of the plant were observing adequate safety standards before the fire incident took place.
It has also been revealed the two fire service stations with two firefighting trucks – one located almost opposite the Obio-Akpor Council Secretariat, about a minute drive to the gas plant, and another located inside Obio-Akpor International Market, less than three minutes drive to the scene of the explosion, failed to respond as fire razed the gas station.
Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Solomon Abel Eke, confirmed that the Council’s Fire Service was unable to respond to the incident, because the firemen were not on duty during a meeting with representatives of Petrol Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN.
But he also advised owners of petrol and gas stations to set up infrastructure for fighting fire within their premises.
The Council Chairman regretted the Obio-Akpor International Market Fire Station which had about 2,000 gallons of water installed but could not respond to the fire incident because none of the workers was on duty that night.
Eke noted that he was at the scene of the fire incident to help take those injured to the hospital and was there with youths from the Rumuodomaya community to help put out the fire, but firefighters were nowhere to be found.
He also said he reached out to sister fire service units of Shell Petroleum Development Company and the state owned facility but they could not respond..
He said disciplinary measures and investigation were ongoing against the firefighters, who, according to him, sabotaged the good efforts of Council.
But Eke also acknowledged that the fire stations had been unable to function maximally due to lack of funds.
On his part, Rivers State Chairman, PETROAN, Francis Dimkpa, who regretted the lack of response by fire fighters to the fire incident, noted that most petrol and gas stations in the state had been scored 98 per cent by DPR in terms of the safety standards they have stipulated.