One confirmed dead as fire engulf Bonny

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One casualty has been recorded in an inferno at Bonny Bile Nembe jetty in Port Harcourt City local government area of Rivers State.

The victim was said to be around one of the boats which caught fire on Monday morning.

The boats were believed to be carrying illegal petroleum products which resulted in the fire incident.

The Commissioner for Special Duties, Rivers State, Emeka Onowu who has reacted to the incident said the fire started when a man who had cigarettes in his mouth was turning petroleum products into another jerrican

He said " the fire consumed him. We have recorded one casualty so far"

An eyewitness, however, said there were more casualties in the inferno.

"There were people inside the boats. They were mostly market people".

The men of the Rivers State Fire Service who later arrived at the scene of the fire were chased away by angry youths.

Confirming the report, the Commissioner said" one of our fire trucks was destroyed. The Commandant called me I had to tell him to retreat"

An eyewitness however said, " they came late when the fire was almost off . That's why they were chased away".

But the Commissioner for Special Duties accused some members of the community of being complicit.

He said they often fail to report the activities of the oil bunkerers to security agencies for action.

The Commissioner disclosed that a committee has been set up by the state government to investigate the cause of the three separate fire incidents in the state between Saturday and Monday.

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