Gas Explosion Wreaks Havoc in Calabar, Injures Residents

By Ekanem ASUQUO 

Panic gripped residents of Calabar on Saturday after a gas explosion occurred at a filling station located along Edibe Edibe Street in Calabar South local government area.

The explosion, which happened in the early hours at a private petrol and gas facility, left several persons injured and destroyed properties valued at millions of naira.

Eyewitnesses described the blast as powerful, noting that it shook nearby buildings and sparked widespread fear, with some residents initially suspecting a bomb explosion. The resulting fire spread rapidly to adjoining structures, forcing occupants to flee while trying to salvage their belongings.

Victims who sustained varying degrees of burns were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while others received immediate assistance from sympathisers at the scene.

Residents decried what they described as a delayed response by emergency services, stating that firefighters arrived after the situation had worsened.

The incident has again raised concerns over the state’s capacity to respond to fire emergencies, amid reports that the Cross River State Government lacks functional fire trucks, a situation believed to have contributed to the slow intervention.

The development comes shortly after a similar incident on Goldie Street where personnel and equipment of the Federal Fire Service were attacked by aggrieved youths over an alleged late response to a previous fire outbreak that destroyed goods and property worth millions of naira.

Security agencies, including the police, later secured the area and commenced preliminary investigations into the cause of the explosion, which had yet to be determined at the time of filing this report.

Authorities are expected to release further details as investigations progress, while affected residents continue to count their losses.