At least five people are feared dead and 31 others injured following separate explosions involving a petrol tanker in Edo State and a gas pipeline in Rivers State.
The incidents, which occurred on Thursday, also destroyed houses, shops, vehicles and other property worth millions of naira.
In Rivers State, a gas pipeline explosion in Aleto community, Eleme Local Government Area, reportedly injured at least 20 people and damaged about 50 houses.
In Edo State, a tanker explosion in Oluku, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, left 11 people, including a pregnant woman, with varying degrees of burns.
The injured victims were taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for treatment.
According to reports, the Rivers explosion occurred around 5pm along Old Bori Road in Aleto, following a suspected leak from a pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Gas Company.
Several victims were rushed to hospitals, while nearby stalls, a mechanic workshop and vehicles were reportedly affected by the fire.
A resident, identified as Stanley, alleged that the pipeline had been leaking for about three weeks before the explosion.
He claimed that community leaders had notified the company about the leak but that adequate measures were not taken to prevent the incident.
The Leader of the Eleme Legislative Council, Daniel Chuma, who visited the scene, said he had written to the company and petitioned relevant authorities over the reported leak.
Chuma said the council had also petitioned the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, with the police copied, seeking urgent intervention and a joint investigation.
He expressed concern that the explosion had destroyed more than 50 houses and vehicles, adding that several people had been taken to hospitals.
Chuma also alleged that no representative of the company had visited the scene as of the time he spoke.
Community members subsequently cordoned off the affected area and advised residents to stay away to prevent further incidents.
Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre called on the relevant authorities to intervene and assist residents affected by the explosion.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, said the fire was still burning when the group issued its statement and that nearby buildings had been affected.
However, the organisation said it had not independently confirmed any fatalities.
It urged NOSDRA to identify the facility’s operator and conduct a joint investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the explosion.
In Edo State, the Federal Road Safety Corps State Commander, Preye Ezekiel Bedford, said he could not confirm reports of deaths following the tanker explosion in Oluku.
Bedford said security agencies and emergency responders, including the police, military, FRSC and federal and state fire services, were at the scene on Thursday evening to extinguish the remaining fire and manage the aftermath.
He said the authorities had yet to receive confirmed information about any fatalities.
Bedford also condemned the practice of scooping fuel from fallen tankers, warning that it exposed people to serious danger.
He alleged that some residents ignored warnings from security personnel and attacked them as they attempted to move people away from the danger zone.
The FRSC commander said the corps would intensify public enlightenment campaigns through town hall meetings, churches and other community platforms to discourage fuel scooping.
One of the affected traders in Oluku, identified as Madam Grace, said her son sustained burns during the incident.
She maintained that her son was not scooping fuel when the fire caught the area where he was standing.
Grace added that traders had suffered significant financial losses as several shops and businesses were affected.
A worker at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, identified as Gideon, also said his daughter’s shop was completely burnt.
He added that she escaped injury after closing the shop when she noticed the unfolding incident.
