Explosion Rocks MRS Oil Barge

A petrol barge belonging to MRS Oil and Gas cut fire and exploded at the company’s main depot in Tin Can Island Area of Lagos. No fewer than six persons were injured.

Before it was gutted by fire, the barge, with registration number ST 215 was the biggest of all the barges the company used to store petroleum products when a big vessel discharged products into the terminal.

No death was officially reported by the company but about six men, who were involved in the offloading suffered severe burns.The explosion, which sounded like earthquake, shook the whole of Apapa and shattered the windows of the terminal building, about 50 metres, away.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has ordered a probe of the explosion.
Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Alhaji Habib Abdullahi who handed over the order while on visit to the scene of the blast said a full investigation would enable the authority to ascertain the cause of the blast.

Abdullahi announced that the probe into the cause of the incident would be conducted by the authority’s Health Safety and Environment Department in conjunction with Marine and Fire Service to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the incident.

He appealed to all stakeholders especially port users to go about their normal business activities as the blast has not in any way affected port operations.