*The Dangote refinery under construction.
OpeOluwani Akintayo
13 July 2017, Sweetcrude, Lagos — One of the world’s largest refinery, Dangote refinery with 650, 000 barrels per day capacity, was shut down for three days due to flood.
According to information reaching Sweetcrude Reports, the refinery which was under lock and key since last week Friday was reopened on Monday.
The 650,000 bpd refinery located at Lekki, is expected to come on-stream by 2019.
Our source hinted that the reason for the shutdown was due to the incessant rain fall recorded throughout last week.
“The water was so much that it reached the waist level. Workers could barely find their way around the site”, he said.
“Both the mechanical and civil workshops were flooded. The workers were unable to gain entrance into the site. In fact, it was terrible” he said.
Again, he hinted that workers were asked to go back home.
“As I speak with you, the place isn’t yet conducive to work. The workers were sent back home on Friday. But on Monday, just the scaffolders and electricians resumed for work. Some of the equipment was even affected by the rain. Properties were lost,” he added.
Last week, news broke that one of the highbrow areas in Lagos, Lekki, was flooded.
As a matter of fact, pitiable images of residential houses, properties and streets flooded spread like wildfire, rallying even international media mentions.
As a result, residents were trapped in their homes, while those that could not stay indoors, immerse themselves into the waist-leveled flood, while some were pictured using the help of canoes.
Dangerous animals like crocodile and alligators were also sighted inside the flood.
Reacting to the news, the Lagos State government, cautioned residents of Lagos as the rain persisted.
In a press statement on its official Facebook page, the state government, while assuring residents of support, called on residents to observe extreme caution on the roads.
While assuring the general public of the heavy deployment of environmental sanitation officers and emergency rescue teams, especially in flood-prone areas of the state, the government urged residents to stay indoors, either at home or in their places of work, whenever there is a heavy downpour, except when the need to commute becomes necessary.
Warning that heavy downpour is expected for a few more weeks, the government solicited the support of citizens to desist from dumping refuse in the canals and gutters and observe safe and hygienic conducts at all times in order to reduce the effect of temporary flooding being recorded in some areas.
The flood also reached other parts of Lagos and Nigeria like Abuja where some were reported to have lost their lives.
