Delta Explosion: 5 Fleeing Fire Drown, Bodies Recovered From River

Five corpses have been recovered from a river after gas explosion at Matrix Tank Farm in Ifiekporo in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

www.bigpenngr.com understands the deceased reportedly drowned in a bid to flee the fire which gutted the facility following the earth-shaking explosion on Friday.

This medium had reported that twelve persons sustained various degree of injuries and are currently hospitalised from the inferno which has since been put off.

It was gathered that the bodies of the deceased were recovered on Sunday afternoon along the bank of Warri river.

It was not clear if they were workers of the oil and gas firm as their identities were yet to be established as at press time.

Preliminary investigation by a delegation of the Delta State government had on Saturday disclosed that no death was recorded by the company but confirmed that twelve persons were injured and now receiving treatment at the Ogiame Ikenwoli Hospital, Ubeji.

Local source privy to the incident told www.bigpenngr.com that the five deceased may have drowned while trying to escape from the fire which gutted the gas component of the tank farm.

According to sources, the deceased were outside the premises of the company when the explosion occurred and may have drowned after they dived into a nearby river while fleeing for safety.

Matrix Group Head of Safety, Mr. Fred Olomuro, who confirmed the latest development, said that five persons who drowned while fleeing for safety had been recovered.

“Today (Sunday) afternoon, local divers from our host community recovered five lifeless bodies that drowned probably while fleeing for safety during the fire incident on Friday. Where they died is some distance from the scene of the fire.

“Most offices had closed for business on that fateful day. Their bodies were recovered along the bank of the river away from our premises where the incident occurred.

“We’re greatly pained by the loss of these victims. We are already in touch with the family of the victims. We commiserate with the families on this unfortunate incident,” Olomuro stated.

The corpses of the deceased have been reportedly deposited at a morgue in Warri on Sunday .