About N1.47 billion worth of premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol was yesterday destroyed as fire razed one of the major fuel tank farms in Lagos. The incident created pandemonium among business and house owners as well as residents of Apapa area of the city. The 10.5 million capacity tank farm belonging to OVH Energy, but branded in Oando’s name and logo, located in Marine beach, was said to be fully loaded with PMS when the incident occurred. It is a few meters from other petroleum product storage facilities in Lagos.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the fire incident, noting that fire fighters and equipment from three centres – Federal Fire Service, NIMASA Fire Service and Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) Fire Service, were mobilised. Spokesperson for NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, who confirmed the incident, told New Telegraph that all staff on site were evacuated and are safe.
“NPA, Federal Fire and NI MASA Fire Services mobilised and are fighting the fire presently,” he declared. Checks by New Telegraph using N140 per litre petrol price at the depot, showed that about N1.47 billion worth of the product was destroyed. A source at the safety unit of OVH Energy told this newspaper that the fire would rage till all the 10.5 million litres petrol in the tank finish burning. “The tank was fully loaded when the incident started.
The next tank close to the ill-fated tank was empty, but the one next to that one has AGO, also known as diesel. What we have been doing now is to persistently cool that tank and control the fire on the burning tank from spreading to other tanks that are also fully loaded.
“The fire will have to rage till a better part of tomorrow until every litre inside the affected tank is burnt off. “Helicopter foam pourer may have to be deployed from an upstream firm in Port Harcourt as other tank farms and other facilities at Marine beach environ are under threat,” he said. Meanwhile, OVH Energy confirmed the incident in a statement obtained by New Telegraph, noting that though property was destroyed, no casualty was recorded as “at the time of this report. “We confirm a fire incident at OVH terminal 1 in Apapa, Lagos. “Preliminary information showed that fire emanated from a tank within the terminal. “While an investigation has been launched to ascertain other details, we have a team of professional fire-fighters on ground to manage the outbreak. “We are happy to state that as at the time of this report, there are no casualties recorded.”
