Ten Feared Dead, Scores Injured in Petrol Explosion In Port Harcourt

Date: 19-05-2014 9:59 am (9 years ago) | Author: Bayo Nelson
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- at 19-05-2014 09:59 AM (9 years ago)
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ABOUT ten persons were feared dead in the early hours of yesterday in a petrol fire explosion at a creek close to the NNPC jetty in Okrika, headquarters of Okrika local government area in Rivers state.
Chairman of the local government, Mr Tamuno Williams who spoke to us  said scores of persons were also rushed to  undisclosed hospitals for various degree of burns.
He further blamed the  ugly development on illegal siphoning of crude oil from NNPC facilities in the area by illegal oil bunkers.
Continuing, the Chairman of the council, Mr Williams said it would be difficult to tie a figure to the number of casualties because of the terrain.
While appealing to the NNPC to protect its facilities in the area from attack by vandals the Chairman  said the government had continued to put measures in place to discourage acts of illegal bunkering in the area.
The number of casualties cannot be properly ascertained for now due to the nature of the terrain where the incident happened and the level of security within and around the NNPC Jetty.
The fire incident is as a result of oil thieves who were siphoning oil from NNPC pipelines”.
I am speaking from the gate of the NNPC and I have been advised to come on Monday when the officials of the NNPC who are in-charge here will be on ground. The number of casualties cannot be properly ascertained as I speak due to the nature of the terrain, within and around the jetty”.
Those who survived were said to have  been severely burnt. A lot of things are shrouded in secrecy. We have seen the fire but the NNPC have not given us permission to go in and verify the enormity of the damage. The security there is intensive, yet no NNPC staff wants to speak with us.
Since they are not ready to go, we chose to go there ourselves. There are, indeed, casualties but the number of casualties we cannot really confirm. We have been to the creek and we saw the pipelines connections.
“From what we saw, there is negligence on the part of the NNPC in the maintenance of their equipment. There equipment and pipes are in a state of disrepair.
NNPC should take time to invest in the maintenance of their equipment.”, the local government chairman regretted.

Community sources said the incident happened at about 1am yesterday.  The sources who also blamed some officials of the NNPC for the ugly incident said some persons had allegedly come to lift crude from the facility, adding that as soon as they left some youths also allegedly went in fly boats to help themselves.
We gathered that the crude burst into flames killing some persons because  of an alleged spark on an engine in one of the flyboats used by the oil thieves. ” The engine of the fly boat was not covered so there was a spark that resulted in the fire. You know crude is highly inflammable”,  a source said.
The sources said some persons  may have been burnt to death in the sea, adding that government should investigate staff of NNPC and security men deployed to protect oil facilities in the area.
When contacted, the state Police command confirmed the fire incident, saying that it could have been cursed by the activities of oil thieves.
No official of NNPC in the media department at the Port Harcourt refinery was ready to comment on the development when contacted via mobile phone.


Posted: at 19-05-2014 09:59 AM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero
- Topsylucas at 19-05-2014 10:26 AM (9 years ago)
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I know bad news sell but I want a pleasing news 4 ones.
Posted: at 19-05-2014 10:26 AM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- ngfineface at 19-05-2014 10:39 AM (9 years ago)
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I don tire for dis naija oo. If e no be Boko Haram, e go be kidnappers, if e no be kidnapper e go be arm robbers, if e no be arm robbers e go be rapist, if e no be rapist e no be fire. Diaris God.
Posted: at 19-05-2014 10:39 AM (9 years ago) | Hero
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- ken222 at 19-05-2014 10:46 AM (9 years ago)
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Are you sure Hausa Fulani bokoharam have not entered Our land
Posted: at 19-05-2014 10:46 AM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
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- paulohking at 19-05-2014 11:05 AM (9 years ago)
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explosion!!""!""!!!!!!!!"!!!!!!!!!!"!!!!!!!
Posted: at 19-05-2014 11:05 AM (9 years ago) | Hero
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- winace at 19-05-2014 11:14 AM (9 years ago)
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May their soul rest in peace. Amen
Posted: at 19-05-2014 11:14 AM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero
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- daveobahon at 19-05-2014 11:17 AM (9 years ago)
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Now enuf of badnews evntho it sells more buh poster gve us goodnews I don tire
Posted: at 19-05-2014 11:17 AM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- dareper at 19-05-2014 11:25 AM (9 years ago)
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Sadden
Posted: at 19-05-2014 11:25 AM (9 years ago) | Hero
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- okonkwosangel at 19-05-2014 11:57 AM (9 years ago)
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Sad
Posted: at 19-05-2014 11:57 AM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
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- ken10000 at 19-05-2014 12:37 PM (9 years ago)
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I hear no evil...
Posted: at 19-05-2014 12:37 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
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- proly at 19-05-2014 12:52 PM (9 years ago)
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Sad
Posted: at 19-05-2014 12:52 PM (9 years ago) | Hero
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- beneno at 19-05-2014 01:29 PM (9 years ago)
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RIP
Posted: at 19-05-2014 01:29 PM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Reply
- akinmanchy at 19-05-2014 03:11 PM (9 years ago)
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So sad  Sad

Posted: at 19-05-2014 03:11 PM (9 years ago) | Hero
Reply
- christianity at 19-05-2014 04:20 PM (9 years ago)
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so sad,rip
Posted: at 19-05-2014 04:20 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- gmarley at 19-05-2014 06:22 PM (9 years ago)
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 Cool Cool Cool Cool Cool Cool
Posted: at 19-05-2014 06:22 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- deboalabi262 at 19-05-2014 06:36 PM (9 years ago)
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 Sad Sad Sad Sad

Posted: at 19-05-2014 06:36 PM (9 years ago) | Hero
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- Wysetots at 19-05-2014 07:33 PM (9 years ago)
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Hmmmmmmmmmm
Posted: at 19-05-2014 07:33 PM (9 years ago) | Hero
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- Larry28 at 19-05-2014 07:43 PM (9 years ago)
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Sad RIP
Posted: at 19-05-2014 07:43 PM (9 years ago) | Hero
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- Nicksam at 19-05-2014 08:39 PM (9 years ago)
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NA WA OOO VERY SAD ONE
Posted: at 19-05-2014 08:39 PM (9 years ago) | Hero
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- chicco77 at 19-05-2014 09:02 PM (9 years ago)
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RIP
Posted: at 19-05-2014 09:02 PM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Reply
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