The governor of Cross River State in southern Nigeria, Senator Bassey Otu, has directed hospitals to provide free medical care to individuals who are survivors of a recent gas explosion.
Governor Otu, accompanied by some top officials including his Chief of Staff, Dr Emmanuel Ironbar, described the gas explosion as shocking and devastating.
Otu personally visited the explosion site on Saturday along Edibe Road, a densely populated residential zone in the Calabar South local government area.
After carefully assessing the scale of destruction, Otu sympathised with those affected, stating, “What I have seen here is shocking.” It is huge damage.”
The governor expressed grave concerns about the siting of highly flammable petroleum infrastructure within residential areas and called for stricter safety measures to prevent future occurrences.
“I know very well this kind of facility should not be sited in a residential area. But, unfortunately, this one is here. I believe that steps must be taken to prevent this kind of occurrence in the future,” he stated.
He told reporters that the survivors of the gas explosion were currently admitted to public hospitals receiving free optimal health care, noting, “Incidentally, many homes have been razed and others partially damaged.”
“There are several casualties in the hospitals, and we can clearly see that people’s houses have been damaged. I can guarantee that this government is going to act quickly.
“We will take care of them. We are providing free medical treatment for those affected and will also look into compensation to help them return to their normal lives as quickly as possible,” Otu assured.
Meanwhile, one of those affected, Mrs. Rosa Asuquo, recounted her ordeal and appealed for urgent government assistance.
She stated, “While I was away, my children called to tell me that there was a fire outbreak. When I got here, everything was already in chaos. I tried calling the fire service, but there was no response. There was no rescue until the fire went off by itself.”
She expressed her deep sorrow over the magnitude of the damage, highlighting the destruction of multiple properties and numerous injuries.
She urged the government to provide aid to those impacted and bolster the state’s emergency response capabilities, noting that the event, which took place on Edibe Edibe Road, had caused significant distress among many residents.
Similarly, the Commissioner of Police, Rashid Afegbua, led tactical teams to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and coordinate rescue efforts, crowd control, and safeguarding of lives and property from looters, who had laid siege to the gas dispensing station, which unfortunately shared a fence with a petrol filling station
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Cross River State command, Sunday Eitokpa, “The proactive deployment of personnel and resources helped prevent further escalation and restored calm in the affected area.”
He reaffirmed the Cross River State Police Command’s commitment to rapid response, public safety, and the protection of all residents.