By Cynthia Johnson
An explosion at an illegal oil refinery site in Ibas Community, Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers state, has claimed the lives of many persons.
Quest Times reports that the incident occurred late Sunday night when over forty (40) persons in the community were scooping petroleum products.
An eyewitness who simply identified himself as Emmanuel narrated that the explosion which affected people from the neighboring Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state, Ibaa and Oduoha in Emohua LGA, had the victims selling the product at the refining site when the place suddenly went up in flames.
“More than forty people were there at the site. They were there scooping and bagging crude oil when the fire caught.
“The fire came from a refining site that is close to the point where they were bagging the crude.
“Many Isiokpo and Oduoha people and Ibaa people were there. Seven of the people died inside the pit where they were scooping the crude. About ten burnt were completely burnt by the pit,” Emmanuel concluded.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko when contacted, promised to fact-check in proper response to the incident.