At least 12 people have been confirmed dead in an explosion at the scene of illegal refining sites in Rumuekpe community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State according to the spokesperson for the State Police Command,SP Grace Iringe-Koko.
The explosion occurred at a site where oil thieves broke into the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline,TNP, which passed through the community at about 2 am today Friday,March 3,2023.
This was also confirmed in a statement signed by Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, an environmental rights activist and Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria).Fyneface said:”The Explosion happened at about 2 am today, Friday, March 3, 2023 when one of the buses that has been loaded with crude oil to drive to another area where the refining will take place in an artisanal refineries kicked his vehicle leading to the explosion.“The explosion and fire which has left dozens, including women dead and burnt beyond recognition with many other vehicles and tricycles burnt to ashes occured at the tapping point said to be on the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline (TNP) that passed through the community.” 
The statement further noted that all those who were at the exact tapping point in the “pit” got killed while some of those who had loaded the crude and waiting to load including women have been killed by the explosion.The Centre and other sources in the community conformed that men of the Nigeria Arm area already at the scene of the incident.The Army, Police, Fire service and other security personnel have been mobilized to the scene of the raging inferno.
