Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has visited the scene of the gas fire explosion which occurred on Saturday morning at Edibe Edibe in Calabar South Local Government Area of the state, describing the incident as shocking and assuring victims of immediate government intervention.
The governor, who assessed the level of damage at the scene on Saturday evening in Calabar, lamented the scale of destruction caused by the explosion, noting that both lives and property were affected.
He said, “What I have seen here is shocking. It is a huge, huge damage. The scale of destruction caused by the explosion is really huge.”
He expressed concern over the siting of such facilities within residential areas, stressing the need for stricter safety measures to prevent future occurrences.
“I know very well this kind of facility should not be 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,” Otu stated.
Otu disclosed that several victims are currently receiving treatment in hospitals, while many homes have been destroyed and severely damaged.
He promisec that the state government would act swiftly to support affected residents.
“We have several casualties in the hospital, and people’s houses have been damaged. Government is going to act quickly,” he said.
The governor announced that the state would provide free medical treatment for all victims and consider compensation for those who suffered losses.
“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 said.
Meanwhile, a victim, Mrs. Rosa Asuquo, recounted her ordeal and called for urgent government assistance, alleging that efforts to reach the fire service during the emergency were unsuccessful.
“While I was away, my children called me to say 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 out by itself,” she lamented.
She lamented the extent of the losses, noting that several properties were destroyed, many people were injured, and appealed to the government to assist affected residents and strengthen emergency response systems, adding that the incident, which occurred around No. 69 Edibe Edibe, left many residents in distress.
“Several properties have been destroyed and many people injured. I am appealing to the State government to assist affected residents and strengthen emergency response systems. This incident that occurred around No. 69 Edibe Edibe has left many residents in distress”, he added.
