BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

At least 37 people have reportedly died after inhaling toxic fumes from a petroleum product at Okari Jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident occurred on Thursday at the Okari Jetty in Okrika Mainland, where youths from Okrika and neighbouring communities had reportedly gathered to load petroleum products from an illegal tapping point.

A community source said more than 100 people arrived at the jetty in locally made boats while a vessel was anchored nearby to load petroleum products. Trouble reportedly began when a strong smell suddenly filled the area, causing several people to collapse. Some victims reportedly fell into the river, while others who escaped were rushed to hospital with severe respiratory complications.

The source said more than 37 bodies had been identified as indigenes of Okrika, while six others were yet to be identified and several people remained missing.

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) also confirmed the incident. Its Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, said the victims were allegedly involved in illegal oil activities and died after inhaling what was locally known as “Indorama fuel.”

According to Dumnamene, the victims had allegedly connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline transporting petroleum products from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical complex through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels reportedly loading products for export.

He said the youths were simultaneously loading the product into their boats when they were overwhelmed by toxic fumes. Some bodies were reportedly seen floating on the river but had yet to be recovered.

Dumnamene called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to immediately conduct a joint investigation into the incident. He also urged the operators of the affected facilities to strengthen security around their pipelines to prevent further vandalism and loss of lives.

The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident but said no official complaint had been lodged with the command. She stated that preliminary information indicated that the victims were attempting to steal crude oil and that an investigation had commenced to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

However, the Commander of the Civilian JTF in Okrika Local Government Area, Igwe Godswill, gave a different account, saying the victims had gone to scoop petroleum products that had spilled into the river when they were overcome by fumes from a vessel loading products at the jetty.

Godswill said about 10 bodies had been recovered, although several could not be immediately identified because of the condition of the remains. He described the incident as tragic and appealed to the Rivers State Government, community leaders and other authorities to create legitimate employment opportunities for youths in the area.

He warned that without alternative sources of livelihood, young people might continue to engage in dangerous activities despite the risks, urging authorities to address the underlying economic challenges confronting communities in the Niger Delta.