No less than 25 persons have reportedly been burnt in the Rumuekpe community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State following a fire outbreak from an illegal local refinery known as Kpofire.
It was gathered that the incident, which took place on Thursday, was caused by an explosion.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire broke out after a pipe exploded at the illegal refinery site.
Confirming the incident, the leader of a local vigilante group in the area, Frank Nwazimutor, said he had counted only four dead bodies from his community.
Nwazimutor noted that more persons than estimated may have been affected by the fire.
“About 22 people were there but not all of them were burnt to death,” he said.
The vigilante leader expressed that although the community has remained calm, tensions are high in the forest where the fire broke out.
He also blamed the increasing practice of illegal refineries on the government, which have failed to provide employment opportunities.
