A powerful explosion ripped through the Fonex gas station on Edibe Edibe Street in Calabar South on Saturday, leaving several residents hurt and flattening nearby shops and houses.
The blast completely destroyed the private petrol and gas facility, including its storage tanks and vehicles parked inside.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky as flames spread quickly through the densely packed neighbourhood.
Residents fled in panic at first, but thousands soon returned to the scene.
They grabbed buckets of water and handfuls of sand to fight the fire themselves while they waited for help.
Parents cried out and searched frantically for their children amid the debris.
Eyewitnesses offered different ideas about what started it all.
Some pointed to a customer using a mobile phone too close to the gas dispensers.
A mechanic who works opposite the station, Ekpenyong Sam, shook his head and blamed ageing equipment instead.
“This fire outbreak must have been caused by electrical fault or expired equipment within the facility,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, the delay in official help created serious problems.
Before police or firefighters reached the area, terrorists and looters moved in and carted away goods from damaged shops and the ruined station.
As the situation grew tense, the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday, confirmed that officers had now arrived.
“Our officers have been deployed to the scene,” he said.
“We are making efforts to mobilise fire service personnel, including support from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, to contain the situation.”
Some victims received quick first aid at nearby chemists, while others headed straight to hospital for treatment.
The explosion comes just days after a similar tragedy in Lagos, where a gas tanker crash killed two people and destroyed warehouses.
Local families now face the hard task of clearing rubble and counting their losses, with many wondering how such a busy station could go up in flames so suddenly.
