Gas expl0sion !njures woman, sets house ablaz£ in Rivers community

Gas explosion injures woman, sets house ablaze in Rivers community

A gas explosion has occurred in Bille, an island community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, leaving a woman with severe burns and damaging parts of a residential building.

The incident, according to Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), occurred at about 8 a.m. on Thursday, September 3, at No. 18, Opu Ibiila Community, Bille.

CAPPA said the explosion set part of the house ablaze and shattered its windows, while the occupant, identified as Joy Amos, sustained extensive burns.

The organisation said video footage obtained after the incident showed Amos in severe pain, prompting it to call on the Rivers State Government to provide her with immediate specialist medical treatment and cover the associated medical and rehabilitation costs.

Recounting the incident, Amos said she was using her phone in bed when she suddenly heard a loud sound before the windows of the room shattered and flames surrounded her.

She said she managed to escape the room with her phone and power bank, before running outside and calling for help.

Amos also disclosed that she had previously heard bubbling sounds coming from beneath the floor of her apartment, particularly at night.

The Vice President of the Bille Kingdom Youth Federation, Timothy Agunbiade, who arrived shortly after the explosion, corroborated her account, saying the force of the blast appeared to have travelled from inside the room outward.

Agunbiade said the floor had also been generating heat and appeared to be under pressure from beneath before the explosion.

The latest incident occurred about two weeks after CAPPA released a documentary and report titled Danger! Bille Is Highly Flammable, warning of increasing gas bubbling and seepage in the community.

During a July 6 visit, the organisation said it observed emissions from wells, boreholes, residential compounds, waterways and school grounds, raising concerns over the possibility of a larger disaster.

CAPPA Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, described the explosion as evidence of an escalating emergency requiring immediate government intervention.

The organisation called for the suspension of oil and gas activities in and around Bille until the source of the emissions is identified and independent experts establish that the community is safe.

It also urged the federal and state governments to deploy emergency response teams, evacuate residents where necessary, monitor air and water quality, and provide clear safety guidelines to residents.

CAPPA further called for a coordinated investigation involving relevant agencies, including NOSDRA, NUPRC, NMDPRA and the Ministries of Environment and Petroleum Resources, to identify the source of the emissions and assess oil and gas infrastructure around the community.

The group demanded urgent medical care for affected residents, safe water, compensation and livelihood support for households whose fishing and other economic activities may have been disrupted.

“The authorities were warned. A woman has now been severely burned, while the people of Bille remain exposed to potentially dangerous gases,” Ibeh said.

He urged the government to act immediately, warning that authorities must not wait for fatalities before addressing the reported gas emissions and seepage in the community.