By Helen Okechukwu, JKNewsMedia Reporter
A GAS explosion in the Oroazi community of Port Harcourt has left at least 18 people severely injured, damaging nearby buildings and triggering widespread panic.
The incident occurred at a gas refilling shop on Sunday evening. Eyewitnesses described the scene as devastating, with several residents and passers-by caught in the blast.
Among the injured were a pregnant woman, four children, and a couple, according to Tamuno, a local who witnessed the explosion.
The Rivers State Police Command attributed the explosion to an accident involving a welder repairing a refrigerator.
Superintendent P Grace Iringe-Koko, the command’s spokesperson, explained that the technician had been using a gas cylinder for welding while simultaneously refilling the refrigerator with gas.
“This led to a tragic explosion,” she said, confirming that all 18 victims, including the welder, sustained injuries but that no fatalities were recorded.
Tamuno added that the explosion set off a chain reaction, igniting other gas cylinders in the shop.
The force of the blast inflicted burns of varying degrees on the victims, many of whom were transported to the Rivers State Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Emergency responders arrived swiftly, and police have launched a full-scale investigation to uncover the cause of the incident.
SP Iringe-Koko assured the public that findings from the investigation would be shared soon.
