At least 20 people have reportedly been injured and several properties damaged following a gas pipeline explosion in Aleto community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The explosion occurred along Old Bori Road and was reportedly linked to a ruptured pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Gas Company.
Several victims were taken to hospitals for treatment, while nearby houses, market stalls, a mechanic workshop and vehicles parked inside the workshop were damaged.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the pipeline had been leaking for about three weeks before the explosion.
He alleged that community leaders had raised concerns about the leak but that no adequate action was taken to prevent the incident.
The eyewitness said many of those affected were passers-by and people doing business in the area.
The Leader of the Eleme Legislative Council, Daniel Chuma, said he had previously written to the Nigeria Gas Company about a reported pipeline leak and petitioned relevant authorities for urgent intervention.
Chuma said the council also petitioned the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, with the police copied, requesting a joint investigation.
“There was a leakage on another section of the Nigeria Gas Company. We wrote to them, and we did a petition to NOSDRA and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment and copied the police for urgent intervention,” he said.
“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 pipeline of the Nigeria Gas Company that has destroyed houses, cars, and caused many casualties. People have been rushed to the hospital.”
The council leader also expressed concern that no representative of the company had visited the scene as of the time he spoke.
He said community members had cordoned off the affected area with caution tape and advised residents to keep away to prevent further danger.
Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has called on the Rivers State and Federal Governments and relevant environmental agencies to intervene urgently.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Fyneface Fyneface, said surrounding buildings had been affected and some residents hospitalised.
YEAC-Nigeria said it had not independently confirmed any deaths and that the cause of the explosion remained unverified.
The group urged NOSDRA to identify the operator of the affected facility and conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
It also called for relevant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 to be applied where appropriate.
The reported injuries and property damage, alongside allegations that the pipeline had been leaking for weeks, have raised concerns about pipeline safety and the need for a thorough investigation.
Authorities are being urged to establish the cause of the explosion and take measures to prevent further harm to residents.
