10 bodies recovered after toxic fumes kill residents in Rivers

Ten bodies have been recovered from the scene of a toxic-fume incident in Okrika, Rivers State, where residents reportedly choked while handling a petroleum product. Conflicting casualty figures have emerged, with one account putting the death toll at no fewer than 37.

The incident occurred on Thursday as youths reportedly loaded the product into a ship from a tapping point at a riverside jetty. A vessel had anchored there to load petroleum for export when a strong smell spread through the area and overwhelmed the people nearby.

Igwe Godswill, commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika, said about 10 bodies had been recovered. Four remained unrecognisable, while four people had been identified. The condition of the other remains made identification difficult.

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These are young guys who have gone to search for their daily bread, only for the fumes from the fuel that was pumped to kill so many of our youths under the bridge.

Godswill rejected descriptions of the victims as oil thieves, saying residents had gathered in large numbers to scoop the product because of poverty. “These are young guys who have gone to search for their daily bread, only for the fumes from the fuel that was pumped to kill so many of our youths under the bridge,” he said. He called on government and community leaders to create legitimate jobs.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said its personnel had seen four corpses at a jetty near a creek in Okrika during an assessment of the area. The incident has renewed calls for safer livelihoods in the community, where residents reportedly turn to hazardous activities when they cannot support their families.

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These are not criminals or anything, but they went out in search of their daily meal.