Pilex Calls for Independent Autopsy as Bille Gas Explosion Victim Dies

Miss Joy Amos, who was severely burnt in a gas explosion linked to continuous gas seepage in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, has died.

The Director of the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative, Courage Nsirimovu, disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Expressing sadness over the incident, Nsirimovu questioned why Amos was hurriedly buried and called for an immediate, independent autopsy to establish the cause and circumstances of her death.

He said the organisation received the tragic news of her death on the morning of September 22, 2026, after previously visiting her in connection with the environmental crisis in the community.

“While we do not, at this stage, claim that the gas exposure caused her death, the circumstances demand a transparent and independent medical investigation,” Nsirimovu said.

The Pilex Centre called on the Rivers State Government, in collaboration with relevant Federal Government authorities, to ensure that an autopsy is conducted on Amos’s remains to scientifically determine the cause of her death.

Amos was reportedly burnt inside her home when a fire broke out following gas seepage in Bille Community.

The Rivers State Government had earlier visited her in the hospital and reportedly settled her medical bills.