Paul Osuyi, Asaba
RESIDENTS of Otu-Jeremi town in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State were on Friday thrown into confusion following an explosion that gutted the Abura crude trunk line operated by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The residents, especially those within meters to the affected line, were said to have scampered for safety as they took to their heels at the sound of the explosion. The exploded oil pipeline gushed out volumes of crude oil into the surroundings in Otu-Jeremi, spilling over.
Our correspondent learnt that the affected trunk accommodated Oil Mining Lease (OML) 34 pipelines jointly operated by NNPC and ND Western, and that of Abura Line belonging to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of NNPC.
However, as at the time of filing this report, it was not clear which of both lines ruptured that resulted in the explosion.
Meanwhile, the incident has led to the temporal closure of the weekly Otu-Jeremi market as traders and customers were said to have also taken to their heels at the time of the deafening explosive sound. A community source claimed that soldiers have cordoned- off the scene and its surroundings. “Fire-fighting trucks have just arrived. People are still running as we speak. Soldiers are everywhere,” the source volunteered.