The Abia command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the death of 19 persons, following Friday’s pipeline explosion in two villages in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state.
The state Commander of the organisation, Mr Benito Eze, confirmed the number of casualties to newsmen in Umuahia.
Eze said that 16 persons, including one woman, died in the explosion that occurred around 2.47 a.m at Umuaduru Village in Umueze Autonomous Community.
He also said that three others died in the fire that occurred at about 3 a.m in a private residence at Umuimo Village in the area.
Narrating the incident, Eze, who said that he visited the scene around 4 a.m., described the incident as unfortunate.
He said that the Umuaduru incident happened when some youths in the area where scooping petroleum products from vandalised pipelines.
Eze further said that the fire at Umuimo happened when a woman, identified as a food vendor, got up at about 3 a.m. to start cooking for the day’s business.
“I gathered that the family stored petrol in the house and that it caught fire when the woman wanted to set up fire for cooking.
“The fire razed down the whole house but the woman and her husband did not die but managed to escape with burns,” he said.
The civil defence boss said that the couple had been taken to a hospital for medical attention. (NAN)