Disaster has struck again in Port Harcourt, the capital of the Rivers State in Nigeria, when a number of fires and an explosion damaged four vessels in three separate incidents within hours of each other.
Port Harcourt, which is situated on the borders of the Bonny River in the Niger Delta, has been subject to multiple tragedy in the past few weeks. In the latest incident, at least 30 people have been confirmed as dead, with scores still missing.
The incidents began when a ship caught fire in the Abuloma Jetty, the main port of the city. As the vessel went up in flames, an explosion occurred sending pieces of the ship flying hundreds of feet. 30 crew members were on board the ship at the time of the explosion, all of which are presumed dead.
Authorities have confirmed that among the bodies found following the explosion, were crew members from the ship, most of them welders currently working on maintenance jobs on board the ship, as well as some female students from tertiary institutions who were expected to travel overseas on the vessel.
Three people who were onboard the ship at the time of the explosion managed to jump off the burning vessel into the river shortly before the explosion, and have been rescued. The survivors have been transported to hospital by ambulance, and are currently in a critical but stable condition.
According to eyewitness reports, the ship exploded at about 9.45 am on Friday morning, after it had been moored in order to allow welders to commence maintenance operations after leaks were noticed on the ship. An eyewitness has reported that it was while welders were attempting to seal a hole in the ship’s fuel tank that the explosion occurred. The fuel tank was supposedly washed and flushed out before the welding began, but eyewitnesses suspect that this process was not adequately completed.
Two ferries that were adjacent to the ship at the time were also engulfed in flames, but fortunately locals were able to extinguish the fires on the ferries using portable water pumps.
The State Rivers Fire Department only arrived on the scene five hours after the incident occurred, and were unable to put out the fire as their equipment could not reach the vessel. The fire was still burning at the time of this report.
The National Emergency Management Agency is currently investigating the cause of the accident, and is expected to confirm casualty numbers later this week.
