Twenty people were feared to have roasted to death while many others sustained third degree burns in an inferno that occurred the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN located at Calabar Road by the Millennium Park .
The explosion which took place at about 11.45am set the main edifice of the bank on fire effectively trapping many staff and visitors, resulting in the high casualty.
Eye witnesses said that a team of mobile policemen and soldiers, assisted by nurses and personnel of the Nigeria Security and civil defense Corps around 12’00 pm were keeping guard over the place while officials of the Federal and State Fires Services were putting out the fire and rescuing those trapped in the building.
“I cannot give exact figures of how many people are dead but many people were burnt beyond recognition while many sustained third degree burns; rescue operation is going on to ensure everyone is brought out soon,” an Official of the Federal Fire Service at the Calabar Airport said.
He added that the source of the explosion is not known but was assumed to be some locally made improvised device even as others suspected the explosion of gas tank at the generator house.
Ambulances from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and General Hospital Calabar were brought in to evacuate the dead and those wounded while rescue efforts were being made to extricate those still inside.
No official of the bank was willing to speak to the press on the cause of the inferno but the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone six, Baba Bolanta said that so far, eighteen persons were injoured “but no death has been recorded.” [myad]
