Cameroon – Explosion Hits Lone Oil Refinery

An explosion hit Cameroon’s lone refinery Friday night, causing serious damage and production suspension, according to a statement published Saturday by the refinery.

“We inform you of the occurrence of an explosion followed by a serious fire in our production units on May 31, 2019, around 9:30 p.m., causing damage and an indefinite stop to production of all our units,” Jean-Paul Simo Njonon, general manager of Cameroon’s National Oil Refinery (SONARA), said in the statement.

No one were killed or injured, according to a tweet by national television CRTV last night. The fire has been put out by firefighters who worked the whole night.

The cause of the incident is not yet clear. Local authorities said a crisis meeting will be held to determine the exact cause and consequences of the explosion.

The refinery is located in the coastal town of Limbe, in the Southwest region, one of Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions where armed separatists are fighting to secede from the majority French-speaking country.

Separatists have been suspected of causing the explosion but they have not claimed responsibility officially.