Posted by By Francis Onoiribholo on
Residents of Eruemukohwarien Community, Ughelli in Delta State, scampered for safety at the weekend, following a gas pipeline explosion at the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Ughelli Gas Plant. The explosion, which immediately sparked off a huge fire, created panic in the host community.
Residents of Eruemukohwarien Community, Ughelli in Delta State, scampered for safety at the weekend, following a gas pipeline explosion at the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Ughelli Gas Plant. The explosion, which immediately sparked off a huge fire, created panic in the host community.
But the External Relations Manager (SPDC-West), Mr Harriman Oyofo, has assured that there was no cause for alarm, explaining that the fire occurred in the company's saver pit, which poses no danger to members of the community.
His words: 'I agree there could be thick smoke as a result of the incident, which could have been carried over to far away places, but that is normal. It does not pose any danger to the host community."
We gathered that residents, who thought the fire would engulf the area, fled the community and only returned after the company's fire fighters battled the inferno to a stand still. According to eyewitnesses, when the explosion reverberated in Eruemukohwarien and flames of fire and thick black smoke emerged from the direction of the SPDC gas station, their initial fear was that another oil pipeline fire, the type which devastated the Jesse community in Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state in 1998 and claimed more than 1000 lives, had occurred in their community.
We further learnt that the majority took to their heels for safety until a few bold persons headed in the direction of fire only to discover that the scene of the incident was the SPDC station, which hosts the Ughelli pump station, quality control centre and gas plant. A source, however, informed our correspondent that the fire erupted from a leakage from an old pipeline in the tank farm.
In an interview, the chairman of community, Pastor Dennis Uchefe, said the incident was one among the many hazards the people suffer as a result of the operations of the company.
He said the community had long made representation to the SPDC on the state of pipelines and other facilities at the station, which he said were very old and due for replacement.
The community leader also complained about environmental pollution caused by leakages from the old pipelines.
At the time of filing this report, some officials of the company had started arriving the scene for an on-the-spot assessment of the incident.