Residents of Calabar were thrown into panic after a massive fire broke out around the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ), close to a petrol tank farm along the Murtala Mohammed Highway. The inferno, which eyewitnesses fear may have been triggered by a fuel-related incident, spread through the night into Tuesday morning, sending thick black smoke across the skyline.
Communities around Ikot Ansa and the Living Faith Headquarters Church were among the worst hit by the chaos as terrified residents rushed out of their homes in confusion. “I was in my house when I saw people running. By the time I came out, the smoke had covered everywhere. When we moved closer, we saw the fire burning like a filling station was on fire,” one resident, who pleaded anonymity, told The Trumpet.
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He added that while there was no loud explosion, the intensity of the flames suggested a fuel-related outbreak. “The fire was too large for anyone to go near. Later, some fire service men arrived with their tanker, but the place had already burnt for a long time.”
As of press time, the cause of the fire remained unknown. Efforts to reach the Cross River State Fire Service management for an official response were unsuccessful.
The incident has sparked growing concern among residents over the safety of petroleum tank farms located within densely populated areas of Calabar.
