By Okafor Ofiebor
Port Harcourt – Seven people were feared dead while many others who were badly burnt are struggling for survival from explosions of two tankers loaded with petroleum products at Eteo community in Eleme local government area of Rivers State .
The victims who were said to be fetching petroleum products from the tankers intercepted and being detained by the police when they exploded.
According eyewitnesses, an Anti- Bunkering Team of the Police in Rivers had at the weekend intercepted the trucks loaded with illegally refined products and diverted them to a bush in Eteo community.
But some people in the community had started fetching products from the tankers before it was later set ablaze by the Anti-Bunkering Team of the Police Command.
It was gathered victims of the incident were rushed to various hospitals in Eteo community in Eleme local government area and environs in Rivers State at the weekend.
Fyneface Dumnamene, an Environmental Rights Activist said his investigation showed the Anti-Bunkering team of the Police set the two 33,000 litres tankers loaded with Petroleum products that were seized on fire.
The Rivers State Police Command Public Relations Officer,SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident to journalists, but she said she had not been briefed about the details of the incident.
The spokesman of NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, while confirming the incident commiserated with the families of the victims, warned against improper handling of inflammable petroleum products.
He said his agency does not subscribe to burning of seized illegally refined petroleum products due to catastrophic effects on humans and the environment.
