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| Explosion Scene |
A butane tanker ignited a huge explosion at a crowded industrial plant in Nigeria
on Thursday, killing “tens of people” who were lining up to refill
their cooking gas cylinders in time for Christmas, the presidency said.
The disaster took place in Nnewi, a predominantly Christian city in south-east Nigeria.
“My heart and prayers go out to these grieving families at this difficult and painful moment,” President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement.
A witness, Emeka Peters, said the fire broke out at about 11am when a
lorry that had finished discharging fresh gas at the Chikason Group Gas
plant left without waiting to observe the prescribed cooling time.
“The fire exploded like a bomb and the whole gas station went up in
thick, black smoke amidst an explosion from cooking gas cylinders,”
Peters said. “Many people were killed and most of them were those that
had been in the station queuing all day to get their cylinders
refilled.”
Peters, 36, said the fire raged for hours. He said most of the bodies
and some badly injured victims were evacuated to the Nnamdi Azikiwe
University teaching hospital in Nnewi.
“Many of them were burned beyond recognition and I doubt if many
family members of the dead victims would be able to identify the remains
of their loved ones,” said Peters.
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