A gas explosion in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, has left a woman, Joy Amos, severely burned and damaged parts of her residence.
The incident occurred on Thursday at Opu Ibiila Community. According to Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the blast shattered the house’s windows and sparked a fire.
Amos said she was using her phone in bed when she heard a loud explosion before flames engulfed the room. She escaped and raised the alarm.
She also disclosed that she had previously heard bubbling sounds beneath the floor at night. A youth leader, Timothy Agunbiade, reportedly corroborated the account, saying the floor had shown signs of heat and pressure before the blast.
CAPPA, which had earlier warned of gas seepage and bubbling in Bille, called for urgent medical treatment for Amos and immediate government action to determine the source of the emissions.
The organisation also urged authorities to suspend oil and gas activities around the community, deploy emergency response teams and investigate the incident.
