photo credit; vanguard news
An explosion at an illegal refinery site in Rumuekpe hamlet, Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State, is said to have killed dozens of people.
According to reports, the illicit refinery's location, dubbed "kpo fire" by Ijaws, caught fire, killing most of the workers and wounding others.
Nnamdi Omoni, the Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the event to SaharaReporters, stating that the number of deaths had still to be determined and that a detachment from the state police command had been dispatched in the region to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
Nonetheless, Frank Nwazimutor, a local security commander, verified that five of the people killed in the blast were from his area.
"It's a fire breakout as a result of their kpofire business. There was a fire that resulted in the loss of life. However, no more than 20 people have died. There were 22 people burned alive, but we have only counted four dead bodies so far.
"Some are members of our community, while others are strangers, and we are unable to identify those who were trapped in the fire. Right now, that's where the issue is.
"The neighborhood is not particularly tense; rather, the strain is felt in the forest, where the bunkering activity takes place." Inside the neighborhood.