12 people were killed in the early Friday morning explosion in Rumuekpe village in Emoha Local Government Area of the state, according to the Rivers Police Command.
The victims were collecting crude product when the site caught fire, according to a preliminary inquiry, the command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement released in Port Harcourt.
According to a previous report by reporters, the explosion happened when a bus carrying some diverted petroleum left the scene for an unauthorized refinery nearby and caught fire.
“So far about 12 persons are believed to have been burnt to death. The identities of the victims are still unknown,” she stated.
Iringe-Koko also said that five vehicles and four tricycles were burnt to ashes at the explosion site.
Meanwhile, the command has admonished members of the public to stay away from illegal oil bunkering and contact it through telephone numbers, 08032003514 and 08098880134, to report any crime.
