At least five people have been confirmed dead following an explosion at a residential building used to store illegal petroleum products in Rivers State.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) reported that the blast and subsequent fire occurred at an illegal storage site for refined petroleum products in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA).
The incident happened in a house where residents bought and stored illegally refined products, including condensate, for resale.
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Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Fyneface, stated that the explosion occurred around 11 a.m. on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of five individuals—four women and one man—who were burned beyond recognition.
Calling for a thorough investigation, the Advocacy Centre warned residents, particularly youths, against involvement in pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refining and the trade or home storage of illegally refined petroleum products to prevent further tragedies.
The organisation also renewed its call for the federal government to legalise artisanal refining in the Niger Delta. It urged the establishment of the proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI), introduced on July 27, 2020, or the creation of modular refineries to better regulate the sector and reduce similar incidents.
Confirming the explosion, Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, explained that a fire broke out when a lighted stove was brought near a stored condensate kerosene product during an attempt to cook noodles.
“Somebody brought a lighted stove close to the place where the product was stored to cook Indomie and that ignited the fire”, she said.
Iringe-Koko stated that four people were confirmed dead at the scene and assured the public that the police have launched an investigation into the incident.
