Many Feared Dead As Explosion Rocks Illegal Refinery In Rivers

Many persons have been feared dead following an explosion at an illegal oil refining facility in Ibas, a community in the Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The explosion occurred late on Sunday evening while a group of individuals, estimated to be over 40 in number, were engaged in the extraction of petroleum products.

A community source, identified as Emmanuel, revealed that the victims were in the process of selling the aforementioned product at the refining site when the fire suddenly started.

Emmanuel further disclosed that individuals from the neighbouring areas of Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area, as well as Ibaa and Oduoha in Emohua LGA, were affected by the incident.

“There were more than 40 individuals present at the site. They were engaged in the extraction and packaging of crude oil when the fire broke out.

“The fire originated from a refining site in close proximity to the area where they were packaging the crude.

“Numerous individuals from Isiokpo, Oduoha, and Ibaa were present. Seven individuals perished within the pit where they were extracting the crude, while approximately 10 individuals were completely incinerated by the pit,” Daily Trust quoted the source as saying.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, told journalists that she had no details of the incident at hand but promised to provide subsequent updates on the incident.