Not fewer than 37 suspected oil thieves have died after inhaling toxic petroleum fumes during an illegal loading operation at a jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Several others are reportedly missing following the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the Okari Jetty area of Okrika Mainland.
The victims were among a large group of youths who had reportedly converged on the waterfront to siphon petroleum products through an illegal connection while a vessel was loading products at the location.
The Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, confirmed the deaths, saying the organisation received reports from its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta.
Fyneface said no fewer than 37 people had been confirmed dead after inhaling what residents reportedly refer to as “Indorama fuel.”
According to him, the illegal operators connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline conveying petroleum products from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical area through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels.
He said the illegal loading was allegedly taking place simultaneously with the loading of the product into a vessel when the victims were exposed to fumes from the petroleum product being pumped under high pressure.
“The report further stated that while a vessel was loading the product and the men were simultaneously loading into their waiting boats from the illegal tapping point, they inhaled the product being pumped at high pressure,” Fyneface said.
“This led to the death of not fewer than 37 persons. Many are still missing, and some corpses have been seen floating on the river but have not yet been recovered.”
Sources said the strong fumes reportedly overwhelmed people at the jetty, with some collapsing while others fell into the river as they attempted to escape.
Some survivors were said to have suffered breathing difficulties and were taken to hospitals for treatment. The exact number of people involved in the illegal operation and the final casualty figure remained unclear as of Thursday afternoon.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying an investigation was underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the actual number of casualties.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Karbalo, said the command was investigating the incident.
The tragedy highlights the continuing dangers associated with illegal oil theft and the siphoning of petroleum products from pipelines in the Niger Delta.
Fyneface called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to the site to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
He also urged companies whose facilities were allegedly vandalised to strengthen security around their pipelines and other oil infrastructure.
The advocacy group condemned the alleged sabotage and warned youths in the region against tampering with oil and gas infrastructure because of the risks associated with high-pressure petroleum products.
It, however, called on the government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities for youths involved in artisanal oil activities.
The organisation also renewed its call for the development of modular refineries and the establishment of an industrial park in the Niger Delta as alternative economic opportunities for people involved in illegal refining.
The Okrika incident occurred amid intensified military operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta.
The Defence Headquarters recently disclosed that troops operating under Operation Delta Safe deactivated 21 illegal refining sites and recovered about 696,800 litres of stolen crude oil and petroleum products across the South-South in August.
The military also said 43 suspects were arrested and 38 civilians rescued during the operations.
The latest incident is not the first deadly petroleum-related occurrence at Okari Jetty.
In August 2023, an explosion and fire linked to the scooping of petroleum products at the jetty reportedly killed several people and caused environmental damage, including the death of aquatic life.
Following Thursday’s incident, residents were reportedly searching the waterways for people who may have fallen into the river while attempting to escape the fumes.
The identities of several of the deceased were yet to be established as of the time of filing the report.
