Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Rivers State Government says it is considering demolition of makeshift buildings and shanties around petroleum products tank farms.
This follows a serious fire outbreak at the weekend in Abonnema Wharf in Port Harcourt, an area with heavy concentration of oil tank farms.
Properties and goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in the fire, which occurred near a tank farm, spreading to buildings around the area.
Speaking on the development, the Rivers State Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Dr. Peter Medee, said the fire was caused by illegal storage of petroleum products.
Medee explained that residents stored petroleum products and other inflammable substances in shanties and makeshift buildings, which ignited fire at the slightest mistake.
He said the state government was considering the demolition of the makeshift buildings in premises where petroleum tank farms are located, adding that other unapproved structures would be demolished to forestall the reoccurrence of fire.
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