Illustrative image: A gas pipeline fire at night. Photo: kaareif, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
At least five persons were feared dead while 31 others sustained varying degrees of injury in separate explosions that rocked Rivers and Edo states, destroying houses, shops and vehicles in the affected communities.
In Rivers State, the explosion occurred at Aleto in Eleme Local Government Area after a pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Gas Company caught fire along the Old Bori Road. No fewer than 20 persons were injured in the blast, while more than 50 houses, shops and vehicles were gutted by the resulting inferno.
Residents of the community described the incident as one of the most devastating in recent memory, saying the fire spread rapidly through nearby buildings before emergency responders arrived at the scene.
A similar disaster unfolded in Edo State, where a fuel-laden tanker exploded at Oluku, injuring 11 persons, including a pregnant woman. The victims were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The Edo Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Preye Ezekiel Bedford, confirmed the tanker blaze, noting that rescue operations were coordinated to stop the fire from spreading to adjoining structures.
Reacting to the Rivers incident, the Executive Director of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, called for an immediate integrity check on gas facilities in the area, warning that communities hosting pipelines remain exposed to recurring disasters.
The Leader of the Eleme Local Government Legislative Arm, Daniel Chuma, had earlier petitioned the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment over the condition of facilities in the area before the blast occurred.
The twin disasters have again raised questions about pipeline maintenance, tanker safety and emergency preparedness across the country, with residents demanding stronger oversight of oil and gas infrastructure passing through populated areas.
Authorities had yet to release an official casualty figure as of press time, while efforts were ongoing to provide relief for victims of the explosions.
Source: The PUNCH
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