10 bodies recovered after toxic fume incident in Rivers

Ten bodies have been recovered following an incident where individuals reportedly inhaled toxic fumes from a petroleum product in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, according to Igwe Godswill, Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force. The tragedy occurred on Thursday when youths were illegally loading the hazardous substance onto a ship from a tapping point at a riverbank jetty.

The incident left at least 37 people dead, though conflicting casualty figures have emerged. Witnesses described a strong smell that saturated the air, choking the victims, many of whom were young individuals seeking employment due to a lack of job opportunities. Godswill dismissed rumors that the victims were oil thieves and acknowledged that residents scavenged the scene, driven by poverty.

He called for the creation of legitimate jobs in the community to prevent such dangerous activities. The NSCDC reported that four corpses were initially sighted at the jetty near a creek, with further verification needed to confirm identities and circumstances surrounding the deaths. The Civilian JTF commander warned against vandalism, illegal tampering with oil infrastructure, unauthorized access to facilities, and the dangerous practice of scooping petroleum products, emphasizing the risks associated with such actions.