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Tag: kerosene explosion

  • Kerosene explosion kills five in in Rivers community

    Kerosene explosion kills five in in Rivers community

     An explosion has rocked a store harbouring illegally refined petroleum products in Omoku, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State killing five persons.

    The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) confirmed the development on Saturday.

    The Executive Director, YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Fyneface, said the explosion resulted in an inferno that razed the building.

    He said: “The inferno is said to have occurred in a house where people purchased and stored illegally refined petroleum products including condensate for resale in the area.”

    Fyneface said members of the Advocacy Centre youth volunteers network under the auspices of the One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta in ONELGA reported the development to him.

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    He said the incident occurred on Saturday at about 11am adding that five persons comprising four females and a male were burnt beyond recognition.

    He called for an investigation into the incident and warned residents and youths against involvement in pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refineries and trading in illegally refined petroleum products including home storage.

    Fyneface also renewed his call on the Federal Government to legalise artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta through the establishment of its July 27, 2020 proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) and modular refineries for artisanal refiners in the Delta region.

  • Siblings injured in Anambra kerosene explosion

    Two siblings – Chinenye Ezeh (16) and Kamsi Ezeh (8) – were injured in a kerosene explosion in Ogbunike, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, it was learnt yesterday.

    A neighbour said Kamsi brought out the kerosene container for Chinenye to fill a lantern after a power outage. Chinenye did not put out the light before refilling the lantern.

    “The lantern suddenly exploded, leaving both of them severely injured,” he said.

    He added that the victims were rushed to First Foundation Hospital and Maternity, Umunnachi, where they were being treated.

    Their father, Mr. Godwin Ikechukwu Ezeh, from Imezi Owa in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, appealed to both Anambra and Enugu State governments and spirited individuals to assist them in offsetting the hospital bills.

  • Siblings injured in Anambra kerosene explosion

    Two siblings – Chinenye Ezeh (16) and Kamsi Ezeh (8) – were injured in a kerosene explosion in Ogbunike, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, it was learnt yesterday.

    A neighbour said Kamsi brought out the kerosene container for Chinenye to fill a lantern after a power outage. Chinenye did not put out the light before refilling the lantern.

    “The lantern suddenly exploded, leaving both of them severely injured,” he said.

    He added that the victims were rushed to First Foundation Hospital and Maternity, Umunnachi, where they were being treated.

    Their father, Mr. Godwin Ikechukwu Ezeh, from Imezi Owa in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, appealed to both Anambra and Enugu State governments and spirited individuals to assist them in offsetting the hospital bills.

  • Kerosene explosion kills siblings, injures two others

    Two siblings have died while two others sustained severe burns as a result of two adulterated kerosene explosions in Umuebe village, Ezzamgbo community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    It was reliably gathered the victims purchased the adulterated kerosene from the same filling station at Ezzamgbo junction.

    The explosions happened in two different locations in the area, it was learnt.

    The names of the deceased are Joy Ituma, 6 and Joshua Ituma, 4.

    The two children and their uncle were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA) where the siblings died.

    The severely injured are 34-year-old Mrs. Christiana Idenyi and 17- year- old Uchenna Idoko.

    Mrs. Idenyi lamented the explosion occurred on Monday evening immediately she struck the matches to light her lantern.

    She said it gave her serious burns, which affected her two legs.

    “I went to the filling station and bought the kerosene. I poured it into the lamp immediately I returned.

    “So, immediately I struck the matches, it exploded. As you can see, my legs, hands and other parts of my body were burnt,” she lamented.

    The deceased’s uncle, Mr. Chukwudi Idoko, who was deeply saddened by the incident, alleged the kerosene was bought from the same filling station.

    Mrs. Juliet Igwebuike, who also lives in the building, confirmed she was at the scene of the incident.

    According to her: “I was just coming back from church. I went inside to change when I started hearing shouts calling for help.

    “I thought he was quarrelling with his sister. But the boy kept ‘shouting help oh!’ ‘It’s fire oh!’

    “So, I rushed out immediately. He was already outside the room trying to put out the fire on him.

    “There was no way to enter the room. I checked the door net and it was locked. I checked the window, it was locked too.

    “Later, the other man took courage and broke the door net that was locked. The boy had earlier broken the window glass and jumped out.

    “He kept screaming his brother and sister were inside. One Calabar man in the house, my neighbour, went inside with courage. The other man also moved in also.

    “I was standing at the window. They threw out the first child, a girl, from the window and I picked her and poured water on her.

    “Later they threw out the second child, a boy, and I also poured water on him.”

    Police spokesman in the state, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident.

    She said that the filling station’s manager, Emmanuel Omiyi and the kerosene pump attendant, Anayo Ayu, have been arrested for interrogation.

    She said that some samples have been taken from the facility for laboratory test by experts in petroleum products.

    Chief consultant at the Burns and Plastic Surgery unit of Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA), Dr Nnadozie Ugochukwu, said the 4-year-old was 100 percent burnt.

    “The 6-year-old was about 95 percent burnt; several degrees burn. The only thing that remained was a little part of her hairs.

    “The 17-year-old boy sustained about 57 percent burns. And because they stayed so long inside that place, they had difficulty in breathing even by the time they came,” he stated.

     

  • Kerosene explosion: DPR takes awareness campaign to Calabar markets

    THE Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), in Cross River State has carried out an awareness campaign to Watt and Etim Edem Markets in Calabar to enlighten the people on safety measures in using kerosene in their homes to avoid explosions that have claimed many lives and injured several others. The Operations Controller of the DPR in the state, Mr Bassey Nkanga, who led his team on the campaign, said that the awareness campaign became necessary due to the recorded cases of kerosene explosions in the state.

    Nkanga, while addressing traders at the markets advised them to always have a dedicated gallon for kerosene usage. He also told them not to patronise kerosene hawkers, but rather, get the product from filling stations or licensed surface tank operators. He said DPR frowns at some hawkers who get the product and in turn mix it with other substances in order to produce more products to make additional gains.

    “In the past few weeks, there have been cases of kerosene incidents and our investigation revealed that some people do not know the right way to use kerosene and that is why we have decided to embark on this campaign. “What we are doing here today is to enlighten you on the safe usage of kerosene and the appropriate source where you can get this product. Always keep your lantern or stove cool before the introduction of kerosene into the system.

    “For safety, you must have a dedicated gallon for kerosene alone because some people use a single gallon for fuel and kerosene and this is very harmful. “Some parents who send their little children to go and buy kerosene do not know the negative effects. We have had cases were children mistakenly carried the kerosene gallon to buy fuel, such situations could be disastrous,” he said. Earlier, the operations controller had held a meeting in his office with officials of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) where he read the riot act to surface tank operators. He warned them to register and get their operating licenses as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Service (DSS) have been mandated to arrest any dealer without a valid license.

  • Kerosene explosion: DPR takes awareness campaign to markets

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Cross River State has carried out an awareness campaign to Watt and Etim Edem Markets in Calabar to enlighten the people on the safety measures in using kerosene in their homes to avoid explosions that have claimed lives and injured many.

    The Operations Controller of the DPR in Cross River State, Mr Bassey Nkanga, who led his team on the campaign, said that the awareness campaign became necessary due to the recorded cases of kerosene explosions in the state.

    Nkanga, while addressing crowds at the markets advised them to always have a dedicated gallon for kerosene usage.

    He also told them not to patronise kerosene hawkers, but rather, get the product from filling stations or licensed surface tanks operators.

    He said DPR frowns at some hawkers who get the product and in turn mixed it with other substances in other to produce more products to make more gain.

    “In the past few weeks, they have been cases of kerosene incidents and our investigation revealed that some people do not know the right way to use kerosene and that it why we have decided to embark on this campaign.

    “What we are doing here today is to enlighten you on the safe usage of kerosene and the appropriate source where you can get this product. Always keep your lantern or stove cool before the introduction of kerosene into the system.

    “For safety, you must have a dedicated gallon for kerosene alone because some people uses a single gallon for fuel and kerosene and this is very harmful.

    “Some parents who send their little children to go and buy kerosene do not know the negative effect. We have had cases were children mistakenly carry the kerosene gallon to buy fuel, such situations could be disaster,” he said.

    Earlier, the Operations controller had held a meeting in his office with officials of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) where he read the riot act to surface tank operators.

    He warned them to register and get their operating licenses as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Service (DSS) have been mandated to arrest any dealer without a valid license.

  • Teenager burnt in Anambra kerosene explosion

    A 13-year-old girl, Devine Favour, has suffered burns in a kerosene explosion on Enweanyi Street, Amikwo, Awka, Anambra State.

    The victim was trying to light a kerosene stove when the explosion occurred. She suffered partial burns on her face.

    “As soon as she poured the content inside the stove, and was about to strike a match, the kerosene exploded.

    “She was lucky it was only her face that was affected before she escaped,” a resident said.

    Police spokesman Haruna Mohammed said the victim was taken to the hospital by policemen who visited the scene.

    He added that the case was being investigated.

  • Kerosene explosion victim abandoned by father in hospital

    Kerosene explosion victim abandoned by father in hospital

    A three-year-old kerosene explosion victim, Ozillia Alex-Adjissi, has been allegedly abandoned by her father, Alex, at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in Calabar, Cross River State, after losing her mother and brother to the explosion.

    The case was one of several kerosene explosions cases reported earlier this year, when adulterated kerosene flooded Calabar.

    Ozillia’s mother and brother, who were also affected by the explosion, died of severe burns.

    A Good Samaritan, Mrs. Theresa Etido-Umoren, who had gone to visit her relation in the Intensive Care Unit of the UCTH, noticed Ozillia’s situation and took it upon herself to bring the situation to the public.

    Her outcry had attracted the attention of members of the Calabar-Municipal branch of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), which intervened with a donation of N20, 000 and a follow up with another N50, 000 on Tuesday.

    Etido-Umoren said, “I noticed her when I went to the ICU to visit my cousin who later died. I noticed this little girl, Ozillia, and I made inquiries about her. In the course of my inquiries I found out that nobody was caring for her.

    “The hospital staff had taken her like their project. I had to go and see the head of Anaesthesia department and told her what I could do and they gave the go-ahead. The staff at the Anaesthesia department had taken up the responsibility of caring for her when they discovered that her father had stopped coming to see her.

    “The child had been in the hospital for about two months without the father. The child’s mother and brother had died in the fire incident. So, I had to reach out to people and the first donation came from Seadogs.

    “From what I understand, the father is from Benin Republic and the mother was from Akwa Ibom State but they were not legally married before this incident. In addition to the grief of losing his family, he was made to marry the corpse of the mother before the burial.”

    Etido-Umoren urged members of the public to support the victim in order to complete the remaining surgeries.

    The Head of Anaesthesia Department, Prof. Stella Eguma, who manages the ICU, said the three-year-old girl had just undergone her first major surgery.

    She said: “We have been taking care of her for some time now, while public spirited human beings like you have just stepped in now. She just had the first surgery. She will need a lot of grafting because the skin was not enough. It is going to be a long recovery process and we are happy that she is responding.”

    President of the Calabar Municipal branch of NAS, Mr. John Nya, said the association felt touched by the development and had to intervene immediately.

    “This matter was brought to our attention just three days ago and we instantly swung into action by sending in N20, 000 through the lady that brought up the matter. We have again brought another N50, 000 and it will not stop there. In fact, in the next two days we would have given N100, 000 for a start.

    “The situation of this little Ozillia is very traumatic. We will drum support for her treatment. It is a worthy cause. We, as an organization, have always identified with the less privileged and we will continue to do that within our resources,” he said.

     

  • Kerosene explosion kills three in Port Harcourt

    Two persons were Friday feared dead and property worth thousands of naira destroyed in a fire incident that ravaged shanties at Road One, Orazi, Mile 4, Port Harcourt, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    The fire, according to sources started when one of the victims tried to put kerosene into a stove.

    It was learnt that police and fire fighters did not respond to distress calls during the kerosene explosion.

    A resident, Emmanuel Udom, said the number of casualties would have increased if not for divine intervention, adding that the occupants were helpless and confused on what to do during the fire outbreak.

    He appealed to Governor Nyesom Wike,  to come to their aide,  lamenting that they lost their valuables in the inferno.

    Details of the deceased could not be ascertained at the time at press time.

  • Siblings die in kerosene explosion

    Siblings die in kerosene explosion

    •Dad, two others injured

    Two siblings have died in a kerosene explosion in Akwa State.

    Three persons, including their father, were injured.

    An eyewitness said the incident occurred at Ikono Ibom in Uyo Local Government.

    The injured victim, Mr. Michael Nsikak, a tricycle operator and father of three, sustained burns. His two children died in the explosion.

    Nsikak, who also operates a poultry near his home at Ikot Enyingne Ikono, said: “I bought kerosene from a filling station on Idoro Road after closing from my tricycle (keke) business.

    “When I got home, I lit the lantern in my poultry, to keep my chicken warm. Later, when the lantern wanted to go off, following the exhaustion of kerosene, I refilled it with the product.

    “My children were with me. As I attempted to light the lantern, there was an explosion. The fire made me to become unconscious.”

    The Nation learnt that one of the children died a few hours after the incident and the second the following day at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH).

    The Chairman of Uyo Local Government Transition Committee, Ben Mfon and his wife, Bridget, visited the victim at the hospital.

    A woman from the same community and her three-month old baby were also hospitalised as a result of kerosene explosion.

    Mfon condoled with them and advised the public to be cautious and vigilant.

    He assured residents that the perpetrators of the unwholesome act would be arrested.