Three persons allegedly collapsed on Monday after inhaling gas fumes from an illegal oil refining dump known as ‘kpofire’ in the Oduoha community in the Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State.
A community leader, who narrated the incident on Nigeria Info News, 92.3, Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said the victims had gone to the site to buy fuel when they suddenly suffered complications of gas emissions from the illegal oil bunkering.’
The youths chairman of Oduoha community, Friday Wekere, said the victims, a man and two women were between the ages 26 and 35.
According to him, “As they inhaled the gas, they could not move again, and the three of them fell.
“The eyewitness that wanted to rescue them almost suffered the same thing, but he ran back and raided the alarm.
“So, people now mobilized and brought the three persons out around 10 to 11 pm last night (Monday).”
The father of one of the dead victims called on the Rivers State Government to come to their aid and end the illegal refining activities in the area.
However, the spokesman of the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni, said he was not aware of the incident when contacted.
