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20 People Burnt To Death In Rivers Oil Pipeline Explosion
Twenty were feared dead, while many suffered varying degrees of burns
Port-Harcourt, Rivers State– A devastating explosion at an illegal oil tapping point in Omoku, located in the Ogba/Egebema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, has killed at least 20 people.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday morning, Dec. 24, after youths allegedly broke a pipeline belonging to one of the multinational oil firms operating in the area and started scooping fuel.
However, the fire killed those scooping fuel and those nearby.
Twenty were feared dead, while many suffered varying degrees of burns and are receiving treatment in different hospitals in the area.
“It is a very terrible incident. Imagine the death of 20 people in such a time. We learned some youths bust a company pipeline.
“If you go to the General Hospital and other private clinics in Omoku, you will see many of the injured people scattered all over the place in both government and private hospitals taking treatment,” the source added.
Emeka Agbabere, the Assistant Secretary of the Onelga Security Peace Advisory Council, blamed the incident on illegal oil bunkering.
He said the vigilante group, the Community Development Committee and youths were directed by a monarch in the area to put a stop to oil bunkering activities there.
He however expressed dismay that repeated campaigns for youths to stop illegal bunkering have not yielded the result.