Eleme Explosions: Scores of Persons Battle for Survival, About Seven Dead

 Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt

Scores of Victims with several degrees of burns from explosions of two Tankers with Petroleum products are struggling for survival, while about Seven persons were said to have died.

The Victims who were said to be fetching Petroleum products when the incident occurred were rushed to various hospitals in Eteo community in Eleme local government area and environs in Rivers State at the weekend.

Eyewitnesses said the cause of the fire outbreak was that an Anti- Bunkering Team of the Police intercepted the trucks loaded with illegally refined products and divert them to a bush in Eteo community, where some persons started fetching the product before it was later set ablaze the Anti-Bunkering Team of the Police Command.

Fyneface Dumnamene, an Environmental Rights Activist who reacted to the incident said that investigation showed the Anti-Bunkering team of the Police set the two 33,000 litres tankers loaded with Petroleum products that were seized were set on fire.

The Rivers State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident to Journalists but had not been briefed about the details of the incident.

The spokesman of NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, while confirming the incident commiserated with the families of the victims, warned against improper handling of inflammable petroleum products.

He said his agency does not subscribe to burning of seized illegally refined petroleum products due to catastrophic effects on humans and the environment.