Panic in P’Harcourt as rocket hits building

There was panic and confusion in Port Harcourt on Friday as a rocket accidentally went off from an aircraft and hit a building on 98, Woji Road in the Rivers State capital.

The incident, which took place at about 7.20 am, prompted residents to abandon their homes for fear of being hit by a missile.

It was learnt that the rocket came off an aircraft, which was carrying some personnel of the Nigerian Air Force on a routine flight.

Some passersby, who came to witness the impact of the rocket on the one-storey building, expressed shock when they saw the holes the ammunition created on the building.

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The impact of the missile, which produced a deafening noise, also damaged the rear windscreen of a Nissan Primera with Registration Number Lagos DX 879 KRD, parked by the side of the building.

The owner of the building that is still under construction, Mr. Eric Chioma, said everybody ran helter-skelter, adding that the impact of the rocket shook the foundations of many buildings within the area.

He said, “The rocket hit the last floor of the building and created big holes outside and inside the building. Many people left their homes and ran away when they heard the sound.

“We were all afraid. But we believed that it was not a bomb from the Boko Haram group. The anti-bomb disposal people were here to remove the remains of the object.

“Our fear is that the building may collapse in future. So, we want the government to bring in experts that will inspect the house to see if it will collapse because the sound was too much.”

Another resident, who identified himself as Chizi, urged Nigerian Air Force to always carry out its routine flights outside residential areas.

Air Force Commander, Air Vice Marshal Abba Zannah, said at a joint news briefing that the development was a rare and isolated one that could have occurred as a result of mechanical, electrical or human error.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Indabawa, and the Director of the State Security Service in the state, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, were present at the briefing.

Zanna, however, appealed to members of the public to go about their businesses without fear, adding that the cause of the incident was being investigated.