Nigeria In Trauma After Blast Deaths - President Buhari

Nigeria’s president has said the country is in “shock and trauma” following the deaths of at least 100 people from an explosion at an illegal oil refinery. President Buhari described the incident in Imo state, southern Nigeria, as a catastrophe and a national disaster. Many victims were burnt beyond recognition. The police are now looking for

the owner of the illegal refinery. The damage to fishing and farming caused by the oil industry over the decades and the failure to share the oil wealth has also led some to find other ways to make money. Illegal refining is also attractive as in parts of the oil-rich Niger Delta it is seen as being relatively easy to pull off, despite efforts to halt

the practice. Dozens of people were thought to have also been working at the refining plants when they were then caught in the huge fire. The death toll has also risen as emergency workers go through the scene. Ifeanyi Nnaji of the National Emergency Management told the media that the number killed now stood at 109. We learnt many

bodies are in nearby bushes and forests as some illegal operators and their patrons scampered for safety, he then earlier said. Charred human remains, as well as fragments of belongings, such as flip flops, bags and clothing, were also witnessed across the scene of the disaster by a journalist. In a statement on the Sunday, Mr

Buhari offered his condolences to families of the victims and said those responsible for the explosions must be caught and brought to justice. The authorities have been struggling to curb the proliferation of illegal plants where stolen crude oil is refined. The president ordered security forces to intensify efforts to shut these refineries. It is not yet clear what caused the explosion that happened

sometime overnight into Saturday, but accidents have been common in the past at similar dangerous sites where safety measures are not enforced. There have also been concerns over a lack of precautions at such facilities as well as over the environmental pollution they cause. But Nigeria’s official oil refineries do not work to capacity, causing frequent fuel shortages and price increases across the country.