Obitti Community in Ohaji/Egbema Council Area of Imo State was rocked by fiery fire on Wednesday following the explosion of illegal oil refinery secretly operated by youths in the community.
The explosion, which claimed several lives, properties and farmland estimated at several millions of naira reportedly resulted from the activities of some hoodlums who dug a deep hole in a nearby bush, fixed a long pipe in it from where they scooped crude oil into a hired standby tanker.
An eyewitness said that while the illegal oil operation was going on, some group of suspected vandals emerged from the bush and engaged the bunkerers in a gun duel to disperse them.
The exchange of gun fire consequently sparked off an explosion with a resultant inferno, which led to deaths and destroyed the stationary tanker.
Daily Trust correspondent who visited the scene of the disaster confirmed the situation, revealing how relatives of the victims whose charred bodies littered the scene were wailing and lamenting.
Subdued by anxiety and trepidation, some residents of the embattled community within the vicinity had fled their homes for fear of possible interrogation by security agencies.
Confirming the incident, the Imo State Police Command through the Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye said in telephone chat that the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma had already set up a high-powered investigation team to unravel the immediate course of the incident and arrest the culprits.
Okoye however could not ascertain number of deaths recorded at the scene.
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