37 Die from Gas Fumes in Rivers State Oil Tapping Incident

On Thursday, at least 37 individuals reportedly died after inhaling gas fumes while illegally loading petroleum products at Okari Jetty in Okrika Local Government Area, Rivers State. The incident occurred around midnight when over 100 youths from Okrika and neighboring communities gathered to load the product from a vessel anchored at the riverside.

A strong smell filled the air, causing many to collapse, with some falling into the river. A source indicated that 37 bodies were identified as local residents, while six others remained unidentified, and many more were still missing.

Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), confirmed the incident, stating that the victims were involved in illegal oil activities and had connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline. He called for an investigation by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and urged for better security measures for oil facilities to prevent such tragedies in the future.