Saudi- Huge blast at Nigerian gas plant burns victims beyond recognition

An explosion at an industrial gas plant in southern Nigeria ignited an inferno, killing at least 100 people and injuring many others, according to journalists on the scene.

By one account, a truck was off-loading butane cooking gas for customers stocking up on fuel for Christmas festivities.

“My heart and prayers go out to these grieving families at this hard and painful moment”, President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement.

The fire broke out on Thursday when the truck had stopped discharging gas.

The acting director of the state’s Fire Service, Innocent Mbonu, who confirmed the report, stated that although some nearby buildings were affected, six persons died before the service came. “Most of them there, they were people on vacation, and they are just gone like that”.

Reflecting on the rich life of the Lamido’s mother, the former Vice President says that the Lamido’s mother was a lover of peace and worked hard for those around her to live in peace and happiness. The New York Times cited a local police spokesman as saying the 100 figure was “very wrong”.

Chume Ibeabuchi, who oversees records at the local Red Cross, said that four other people were rushed to hospital with severe burns. “Many people were killed and majority were those that had been in the station queuing all day to get their cylinders refilled”.

The explosion hit the Inter Corp Oil Limited LPG plant, which is owned by the Chikason Group, a Nigerian conglomerate.

Nnewi resident Ilochonwu Prince said, “the fire burnt them to ashes”.

Mr Peters, 36, said most of the bodies and the few badly injured victims were evacuated to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi.