There was pandemonium at the Warri
Refining and Petrochemical Company
(WRPC) yesterday morning when one
of the plants in the complex exploded.
Eyewitness said no fewer than 30
persons suffered varying degrees of
burns, some very severe, from the
explosion in a section of the complex
known as ‘Area 2’.
The victims were taken to an
undisclosed hospital, suspected to
the NNPC medical centre in Edjeba,
Warri.
It was gathered that one of the
chemical or gas equipment that was
used in a routine maintenance blew
up and sparked off a fire.
The incident sent workers of the
company and nearby Warri Depot of
PPMC and inhabitants of
neighbouring communities
scampering for cover.
Attempts by reporters to get details of
the accident were frustrated by plain
cloth security operatives and stern-
faced soldiers deployed in the area
immediately the explosion occurred.
A cameraman with the Delta State
Broadcasting in Warri was
manhandled by the security
operatives who also confiscated his
camera.
The embattled newsman got his
camera back after nearly four hours
later, when the security men had
wiped out the entire content of the
tape inside.
The huge bellow of smoke that rose
over the skyline of the twin cities of
Effurun and Warri led to panic among
residents.
The quick intervention of fire-fighters
of WRPC, who were joined by their
counterparts from Shell Petroleum
Development Company and Nigerian
Ports Authority (NPA), ensured that
the fire was put out swiftly before it
spread to other parts of the company.
The Movement for the Emancipation
of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed
responsibility for the incident.
The militant group, in an online
statement by its Spokesperson, Jomo
Gbomo, said the attack was intended
to raze the entire refining facility.
MEND said as long as President
Goodluck Jonathan continued to rely
on an “unsustainable and fraudulent”
Niger Delta Amnesty Programme,
peace and security would continue to
elude his government, especially in
the Niger Delta.
The militant group, which earlier
threatened more attacks in the Niger
Delta, insisted that its Hurricane
Exodus was on course.
The Management of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) described the incident as a
minor fire incident in the Topping Unit
of the Warri Refining and
Petrochemical Company, WRPC.
It said the fire was promptly brought
under control through the combined
effort of the Fire Department and
other staff of the Refinery.
A statement by the Acting Group
General Manager, Group Public
Affairs Division of the Corporation,
Tumini Green, explained that the fire,
which started around 11am, was
successfully extinguished without any
fatality.
Green noted that the Unit involved
was promptly isolated and shut down
for safety adding that the exact cause
of the fire is being investigated by the
Management of the Refinery. She said
appropriate steps would be taken to
forestall future occurrence.
The NNPC Spokesperson noted that
preparations are under way for re-
streaming of the affected units.
Green said: “We wish to seize this
opportunity to reassure members of
the general public that the NNPC
continues to hold sufficient stock of
premium motor spirit(petrol) and
other petroleum products and
therefore no cause for panic buying.
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/panic-explosion-rocks-warri-refinery/

Jonathan and his government officials are retuinly holding brief for MEND. They have claimed responsibility and the officials are still claiming they want to investigate. Why the cover up? If it were to be in the north now, even before Boko haram claim responsibility, the security agents will tag it on them even when they deny such attacks. Honestly the government of Jonathan is very FUNNY.

Second to comment OMG

Ok

Wsdm: Jonathan and his government officials are retuinly holding brief for MEND. They have claimed responsibility and the officials are still claiming they want to investigate. Why the cover up? If it were to be in the north now, even before Boko haram claim responsibility, the security agents will tag it on them even when they deny such attacks. Honestly the government of Jonathan is very FUNNY.

Please don't accept stories without confirming em, and its criminal to broadcast such stories. I have very strong relationship with many of the staffs there, heck! my own younger brother works there. It was an accident! And it was put under control quickly. Working in refinery as old as this is a disaster waiting to happen, one act of carelessness or negligence is enough. They always have fire trucks station by this very unit which helped in reducing the damage.
Where it mend, we would have lost the whole complex.