BREAKING: Tragedy Strikes, Dozens Die as Explosion Rocks Rivers State
- An explosion has killed dozens of people in the Rumuekpe community in the Emohua local government area of Rivers state
- Persons who died at the scene of the explosion were said to be engaging in the illegal refining of the stolen crude oil
- Fyneface Fyneface, a director at the youths and empowerment advocacy centre (YEAC-Nigeria), disclosed that the fire started at about 2 am on Friday
Many peoples have died in an explosion that emanated from a pipeline tapping point in the Rumuekpe community in the Emohua local government area of Rivers state.
The casualties were said to be engaging in the business of illegal refining of stolen crude oil, The Nation reported.
Source: UGC
Fyneface Fyneface, the executive director of the Youth and Empowerment Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), confirmed the tragedy through the Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS) centre.
Why explosion killed dozens in Rivers state
According to Fyneface, the incident happened at about 2 am on Friday, March 3, when a driver kicked the ignition of one of the loaded buses carrying stolen crude oil.
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The bus was said to be used to carry the stole crude oil to the location of the illegal refineries.
The fire that later killed dozens of people, including women, burning them beyond recognition, was caused by the explosion.
The incident, which occurred along the Trans-Niger Delta Pipeline (TNP), also burnt many vehicles and tricycles to ashes.
Latest about oil theft, vandalism, explosion, Rivers
It was gathered that the blast killed people around the tapping point who had either loaded the crude or were waiting their turn to load it.
Soldiers and police were said to have rushed to secure the scene.
YEAC-Nigeria has been campaigning against crude oil theft, environmental pollution and advocating for alternative livelihoods for artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta for the past 12 years by promoting modular refineries promised by the Federal Government.
Tension in Rivers as explosion rocks local media house few days to the election
Legit.ng earlier reported that a local media house in the Ozuoba area of Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, had been attacked with an explosive.
The media house, named Atlantic TV and Wish 99.5FM, is owned by Chinyere Igwe, a member of the house of representatives.
Confirming the attack, Igwe said the generator house was affected, while the police said a briefing on the attack would soon hold.
Source: Legit.ng
