Explosion, Fire near Port in Nigeria's Largest City

An explosion and fire hit an area of Nigeria's main seaport on Wednesday in the country's largest city of Lagos, shaking buildings in the area and wounding at least four people, an official said.

Details were still emerging of the incident in the Apapa area of Lagos, but initial information indicated there had been an explosion on a ship and fire broke out afterward in an area where fuel was being unloaded at a jetty.

"There was a ship that was trying to discharge into an oil tank owned by (Nigerian firm) MRS and there was a fire, but I don't yet have any details as to what led to the fire," said Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency.

"We are trying to isolate the ship so that we can quench the fire."

He said later that four people were wounded and that the explosion appeared to come from a ship. Residents reported an explosion that caused buildings to shake, and a huge plume of smoke was rising from the area.

Firefighters were working to douse the flames. The port includes jetties where fuel importers unload petroleum products.

"I felt the explosion from where we are," said Charles Osagie, who works at an import and export office in the district.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer with some 160 million people. Lagos is considered the continent's second-biggest city after Cairo.