AGBOR/Nigeria: Victims of a recent gas plant explosion in Agbor, in Ika South area of Delta State, have called on the Government to make provisions for emergency medical facilities in the locality.
They made the observation when officials of the State Ministry of Environment visited the scene of the explosion to ascertain the impact of the devastation and to console families of the victims.
According to eyewitnesses, over a dozen people have died from the incident including five persons from one family.
Mr. Osadume Monday, whose house is a distance of 500 meters from the gas plant which exploded about a week ago, expressed sadness over the loss of his wife, daughter in-law and three grandchildren from the incident.
“My wife died there, Peace died there. We are six I am the only one remaining.”
Mr. and Mrs. Mercy and Moses Erodola, who lost two children from the gas explosion narrated their ordeal and appealed for establishment of emergency medical facility in the area.
(Mercy) “13 year old, Damilola. My daughter Victoria, they even took care of her on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
(Moses) “If to say emergency hospital de. Dem carry dem from Asaba to Benin. Na Benin General Hospital dem come attend to dem.”
Other residents also reacted to the damage from the gas explosion.
“Those who are assigned to do their jobs let them do it well, because when problem comes it will kill many innocent people.”
“All the people that were rushed to UBTH, none of them survived.”
Delta State Commissioner for Environment Chris Onogba, who led a delegation to the scene commiserated with the victims, noting the development was a setback the government and people of the state.
The Commissioner also called for a review in the issuance of license permits to operators of gas plants, saying the ministry has embarked on minoring of gas plants, with a view to shutdown erring operators.
“The measures we are putting in place is to go round and monitor. We are also looking at the circumstances surrounding licenses. This place was termed to be an industrial area, we will also look at some of those variables.” The commissioner said.
The delegation from the ministry of environment also visited and inspected safety measures by liquefied petroleum gas retailers across the state and issued quit notice to defaulting stations.
