A pregnant woman and a toddler were reportedly burnt to death in an early morning fire at the popular Bonny-Bille-Nembe jetty in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Several fibre and wooden boats are also said to have been destroyed in the inferno that began around 2 a.m. on Monday.
The massive fire’s origin is unknown. Previous fires at the jetty, however, were attributed to the storage of flammable substances such as petroleum products used to power the speed boat engines in makeshift buildings within the slump.
The last fore outbreak at the jetty was in November during which several persons were burnt and properties estimated at several millions of naira, destroyed.
The jetty is usually a busy transit point for thousands of residents traveling from Port Harcourt by sea to Bonny, Bille, Nembe, and other riverine communities.
The effects of these disasters are usually massive due to slow response to emergencies by the authorities or difficulties accessing the scene due to the terrain.