The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, has said the fire outbreak at Cawthorne Channel 1 Barges has been successfully contained without casualties recorded.
The company, in a statement by its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, on Thursday, said the fire broke out at approximately 14:10 hours on Wednesday on the dry crude storage barge BESTAF5 at Cawthorne Channel 1, Rivers State.
Soneye noted that the fire spread to other barges, but thanks to the swift response of the company’s emergency teams and industry partners, the fire was successfully contained.
He noted that the incident did not impact flow station operations and most importantly, there were no casualties, and all personnel are safe.
“NNPC Ltd. prioritizes safety and remains fully committed to environmental protection and operational integrity,” the statement read.
Recall that there was initial fear by residents of Bonny Local Government Area in Rivers State that the deadly fire explosion at the Cawthorne Channel facility, which caused massive oil spill into the surrounding waters, could result in multiple casualties.
There were also initial speculations of ongoing search operation for missing crew members, but the company on Thursday confirmed that there were no casualties.
