An explosion at an illicit oil refinery in Uzuaku Community, Ukwa West Local Government Area, Abia State, is said to have killed several people.
Unconfirmed report put the casualty at ten persons.
Three persons were said to have died at the scene of the tragedy on Friday evening, while seven more died later at the hospital where they were brought for medical treatment.
This comes just two weeks after a catastrophic explosion at another illegal refinery in Ohaji Egbema, Imo State, killed over 100 people.
According to a local source, the victims at the scene in Abia were a couple and another family’s only son.
It was reported that the Shell pipeline that serves the Uzuaku/Owaza axis had been without crude oil for several weeks, causing illegal oil bunkering to cease in the area.
However, when crude oil pumping along the pipeline resumed, the illegal refinery operators returned to their operations.
The Police has had nothing to say about the incident as at the time of this report.
