At least 37 people are confirmed dead. Community figures put the toll as high as 43. Toxic fumes swept through an illegal fuel siphoning operation in Rivers State in the early hours of Thursday. The disaster has since become known locally as the Okrika jetty tragedy.
The incident happened around midnight at Okari Jetty. The site sits in the Okrika Mainland area of Okrika Local Government Area. More than 200 youths, mostly from Okrika and nearby communities, converged on the waterfront. They arrived in locally made wooden boats. That gathering marked the start of what would become the Okrika jetty tragedy.
They came to siphon petroleum product from a pipeline that had been illegally tapped. The pipeline normally carries fuel from Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals through the Port Harcourt Refinery corridor. From there it reaches vessels berthing for export.
A vessel was reportedly anchored at the jetty, loading products at the same time the illegal tapping took place. Community sources said the atmosphere quickly filled with pungent fumes. The product is known locally as Indorama fuel.
Several people collapsed almost immediately. Some fell into the river and drowned as panic spread. The incident by far is the worst tragedy the area has seen in years.
Survivors who escaped were rushed to hospital with severe breathing difficulties. Several people remained unaccounted for by Thursday evening. Rescue workers were still combing the waterways for bodies.
The Rivers State Police Command issued a brief statement on the Okrika jetty tragedy. It confirmed the incident but said the exact casualty figure had not been officially verified. The force added that investigations were ongoing to establish what led to the deaths.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre is a Niger Delta rights group known as YEAC-Nigeria. It said its volunteers on the ground had recorded 37 confirmed deaths. All 37 have been identified as indigenes of Okrika. Six further bodies remain unidentified.
YEAC-Nigeria has called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to open a joint investigation into the Okrika jetty tragedy. The group also urged pipeline operators to tighten security around oil and gas infrastructure. This, it said, would help deter illegal bunkering.
Community leaders have long linked such disasters to poverty and joblessness. Young people across the oil rich but underdeveloped Niger Delta bear the brunt of it. Officials repeated calls on Thursday for modular refineries and formal artisanal refining schemes. These, they argue, could give displaced youths safer, legal alternatives.
This is not the first time the same stretch of water has turned deadly. An explosion and fire hit the same jetty in August 2023. That earlier disaster also killed people and left dead fish floating in the creek afterwards.
Rivers State authorities have yet to announce compensation or support for affected families following the Okrika jetty tragedy. Coverage will be updated once police confirm a final death toll.
