Five people, including four women, have lost their lives following an explosion in a residential area of Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area in Rivers State, on Saturday.
It is understood that the blast originated from a room used to store illegally refined petroleum products.
An environmentalist and Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, confirmed the incident in a statement.
Dr Dumnamene explained that the occupants of the property regularly bought illegally refined kerosene and other products, storing them for resale to the public.
While warning against pipeline vandalism and illegal refining, he urged the Federal Government to legalise modular refineries in the Niger Delta to prevent further tragedies.
His statement partly read: “The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has confirmed reports of an explosion and fire incident at a storage site for illegally refined petroleum products in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.
“The inferno reportedly occurred at a house where people stored and sold illegally refined products, including condensate.
“Members of our youth volunteers network informed me that the explosion occurred late on Saturday, 26 April, around 11am, resulting in the deaths of five people — four women and one man — all burnt beyond recognition.”
Dr Dumnamene called for a full investigation and renewed calls for government action to regulate and formalise artisanal refining operations.
“We again urge the federal government to legalise artisanal refineries through the proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) or modular refineries, to reduce incidents such as this,” he added.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the explosion and the casualties, noting that investigations are ongoing.
She explained: “The fire was caused when a resident brought a cooking stove to the premises and was preparing noodles, which sparked the blaze.
“She and three other women were burnt beyond recognition, including a customer who had come to purchase condensate (illegally refined kerosene). Tragically, all lost their lives.”