BREAKING: Dangote Refinery Ablaze! Fire Rocks Lagos-Based Plant, But Officials Say “No Cause for Alarm”
A massive fire broke out at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air and sparking widespread alarm. The blaze, which occurred at the plant’s effluent treatment plant, was described as “minor” by officials, who insisted that there was “no cause for alarm”.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire started around noon on Wednesday, June 26, and was quickly contained by emergency responders. Video footage showed thick smoke billowing from the facility, which is located in the Lekki Free Zone near Lagos.
Despite the severity of the blaze, officials at the Dangote Refinery downplayed the incident, saying that it had been “swiftly contained” and that there were no reported injuries or damage to the plant.
“We have swiftly contained a minor fire incident at our effluent treatment plant (ETP), today Wednesday, 26th June,” said Anthony Chiejina, the refinery’s spokesperson. “There is no cause for alarm as the refinery is operating and there is no recorded injury or body harm to all our staff on duty.”
The Dangote Refinery, which is owned by billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote, is one of the largest in Africa and has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. It started production in January and is expected to reach full capacity by the end of the year.
