More than a hundred persons are possibly dead following last Friday’s pipeline explosion in Umuimo and Umuduru communities in Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State

 Community leaders in the affected villages on Sunday told the senator representing Abia Central in the National Assembly, Theodore Orji that the death toll from the explosion has risen to over 150.

Eze Ikechukwu Chiavoghilefu, the Chairman of Osisioma Council of Traditional Rulers told the Senator that the number of casualties has been on the rise as dozens of people that were badly burnt during the explosion had eventually died.

The traditional ruler cited a particular clinic where about 70 victims were brought on Friday and in less than 24 hours, over 30 of them died as a result of the injuries they sustained.

The Chairman of Osisioma Local Government Area, Hon Ositadinma Mgbeahuru had informed the senator that officials of the Pipeline Product Management Company (PPMC) had been invited on three occasions to come and inspect the leakages and effect the necessary repairs without no response from them.

The Chairman said the pipeline fire was as a result of pure neglect by PPMC and not vandalism as those who died in the inferno did not break the pipelines but only went to help themselves having seen that fuel was gushing out from the broken pipe.

Mgbeahuru’s position was corroborated by the Deputy Chief Technical Officer of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Sani Balas who confirmed that no holes were dug around the pipelines as was usually done by vandals to rupture pipes and siphon petroleum products.

However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi says only 25 persons have been confirmed dead from the explosion.

Ogbizi, who disclosed this shortly after he visited the scenes said the explosion occurred as a result of a spillage from a pipeline carries petrol from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot in Aba.

His words: “According to the information from the NNPC depot manager in Aba, the spillage occurred from a pipeline that was undergoing maintenance.

“He said they were instructed to test run the pipeline to ascertain its level of functionality. When we visited the two communities, we were informed that 14 people died at Umuimo village, while 10 died at Umuduru community.

“Some of the victims who sustained various degrees of burns were said to be asleep when the incident occurred. They were said to have been taken to nearby hospitals and traditional medicine homes for treatment.”