About 20 persons have been burnt to death in a fire explosion that occurred at a forest in Rumuekpe community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State following an illegal artisanal oil refining (Kpofire).
The explosion, Africa Update gathered, occurred at about 11p.m. on Thursday. According to reports, the fire was caused by one of the cooking pots at the location of the oil refining activities whose pipe was interconnected to other pipes which eventually exploded all over the place.
It was also gathered that the fire spread affected so many persons in the area with yet to be confirmed number of persons badly injured and are receiving treatment in different hospitals in the state.
The commander of the local vigilante in Rumuekpe community, Frank Nwazimutor confirming the incident said, four victims who died in the incident were from his village, adding that other persons were outsiders who came to look for green pastures in the oil-rich community.
