An explosion in the Aleto community of Rivers State’s Eleme Local Government Area on Thursday night destroyed 50 homes and left 20 people injured.
The disaster was triggered by a ruptured pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Gas Company near Aleto’s Old Bori Road.
The blast impacted nearby kiosks and a mechanic workshop housing parked vehicles, with numerous casualties reportedly transported to medical facilities.
Daniel Chuma, leader of the Eleme Legislative Council, confirmed the incident following an inspection of the site, noting that he had previously petitioned relevant authorities and written to the corporation regarding the leak without eliciting any meaningful intervention.
“There was a leakage on another section of the Nigeria Gas Company. We wrote to them and submitted a petition to NOSDRA and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, copying the police for urgent intervention.
“We asked for a joint investigation. We don’t know what they did before they left. Today, we were called to an explosion at the same Nigeria Gas Company pipeline that has destroyed over 50 houses and cars, with many casualties. People have been rushed to the hospital,” Chuma said.
Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene, Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, urged the appropriate authorities to step in and assist the impacted citizens.
He added that locals had taken action to secure the area and stop more casualties, but no business representative had attended the scene.
Backstory…
The explosion in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, comes amid renewed concerns over gas leaks and the safety of communities living near energy infrastructure in the state.
The incident also comes weeks after a separate gas explosion in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area, where a woman, Joy Amos, suffered severe burns in her room on September 3. She died on September 22 after being transferred to Port Harcourt for treatment.
