TheCable

Seven persons were confirmed dead after an explosion rocked a facility of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The incident occurred on Tuesday at the Benin river valve station (BRVS), operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of NNPC.

Kennie Obateru, group general manager of NNPC group affairs division, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

According to him, the BRVS explosion happened at Gbetiokun, OML 40, operated by the petroleum company during production discharge in the facility, and the remains of the deceased have been deposited in a morgue in Sapele.

“The incident, which occurred on Tuesday during the installation of a ladder on a platform (Benin River Valve Station) for access during discharging of Gbetiokun production, unfortunately caused seven fatalities,” the statement read.

“The bodies of casualties have been deposited in a morgue in Sapele, while families of the personnel involved are being contacted by their employers.”

He noted that a detailed investigation of the cause of the explosion has commenced, while the department of petroleum resources (DPR) has been informed of the situation, and all protocols are being followed.

Obateru added that Mele Kyari, the group managing director, has commiserated with the families of the deceased.

Editor’s note: This picture was used for illustrative purposes