By Kelvin Ololo
A raging inferno suspected to be fuel explosion, has left Calabar residents panicking and confused.
The incident said to be fuel explosion happend around Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ) way close to petrol tank farm, a distance from the Living Faith Headquarters Church, off Murtala Mohammed Highway Calabar, Cross River State.
An eyewitness who prefers anonymity told CrossRiverWatch that the fire which attracted the attention of residents living around Ikot Ansa and environ started about 5:15PM Monday, 22 September 2025.
“I was in my shop when I saw people running out. When I came out, I saw thick dark smoke everywhere. We have to move down to see what was happening, then we see a place burning that looks like a filing station.”
Another said that: “There was no explosion to say it was a gas, the fire was burning as if it was burning a building down, nobody could go closer because it as too large to go closer (sic). We saw some men of the fire service with their tanker trying to fight after the place has burnt for a long time.”
The cause of the fire is yet-to-be ascertained.
Updated
About 40,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as petrol has been lost in an inferno that occurred in the late hours of Monday 22, September 2025 in Calabar.
Explaining the cause of the petrol explosion, an eyewitness who spoke with CrossRiverWatch at the scene said that “the petrol tanker which was fully loaded from Calabar depot lost control while ascending the hill and crashed with the electricity pole which led to a spark that caused the fire.”
The scene of the explosion which has become a center of attraction for onlookers and sympathizers is seen with a rumble of burnt petrol tanker beyond recognition with fallen broken electricity poles and disconnected cables.
Meanwhile, a businessman believed to be the owner of the burnt product refused to speak to CrossRiverWatch, due to trauma of the incident.
He was seen inspecting with his team the burnt tanker to have lost about 40,000 litres to the fire.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that there was no loss of life during the explosion as the driver and his assistant jumped out before the flame erupted.
An eyewitness said it took the effort of the Cross River State Fire Service and Mainland to put the fire off. Though after it had burnt for a while.
The root cause is not confirmed yet but CrossRiverWatch observed that the corner in which the incident occurred is usually greeted with tanker drivers driving on high speed while ascending and descending the hill.
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