Panic As Explosion Shatters Ailing Flour Mill Factory In Rivers

A deafening explosion has shattered ailing Rivers state Government owned Flour Mill Company located within industry and harbour road of Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The explosion which brought down the wreck of the factory, according to source shook foundation of houses within the vicinity.

Residents say it was a huge pandemonium in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of the state in the incident which happened on Friday.

The blast was said to have stunned both residential houses and business premises within and far away, causing panic, as some ran out of their houses to find out what had happened.

Though the cause of the explosion at the flour mill which has been non-functional for over a year could not be determined, observers described the sound resulting from it as ‘very loud’, saying it instantly resulted in a huge fire.

One of the eyewitnesses said that though the factory was not operational, some persons were offloading some unnamed products when he left the facility about the time the incident took place; even as firefighters responded to a distress call put across to them.

The Flour Mills facility is surrounded by the Nigerian Ports Authority, Ports and Terminal Operators Limited, the Nigeria Customs Service and other business concerns.

When called, the Rivers State Commissioner for Special Duties, Thomas Bariere, confirmed the incident, saying no casualty was recorded.