Explosion linked to illegal petroleum products kills five, injures many in Rivers

Tragedy struck in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, as an explosion ripped through a residential area on Saturday, leaving five people dead and scores injured.

The devastating blast, which occurred around 11 a.m., has been linked to the storage of illegally refined petroleum products within a residential building.

Confirming the incident, Fyneface Dumnamene, an environmentalist and Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, disclosed that the explosion originated from a room used for hoarding adulterated petroleum products, including illegally refined kerosene.

READ ALSO: Fresh explosion hits Rivers State’s Soku oil facility amid ongoing State of Emergency

According to Dumnamene, the occupants of the building frequently purchased these illegal products, stored them in large quantities, and resold them to unsuspecting members of the public.

Sadly, on Saturday, their risky activities ended in disaster, claiming the lives of five people—four women and one man—who were burnt beyond recognition.

Providing further details, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, explained that the inferno was triggered when a resident brought a cooking stove near the storage room to prepare noodles.

The open flame ignited the highly flammable materials, resulting in the deadly explosion.

Iringe-Koko confirmed the casualty figure and said that the police have launched a full investigation into the incident to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy and bring any culpable parties to justice.

The explosion has once again drawn attention to the dangers of the thriving illegal petroleum trade in Rivers State and the wider Niger Delta region, where crude oil theft and artisanal refining continue to pose serious environmental and safety hazards.