No fewer than seven people, including a pregnant woman have lost their lives today in an early morning explosion at Rivers State Government owned Nembe-Bille-Bonny Jetty in Port Harcourt.
The explosion snowballed into an inferno, which destroyed over 50 fibre boats plying Nembe, Bonny or Bille routes.
A witness said the fire could have been ignited during the discharge of illegally refined petroleum products into another boat by artisanal oil refiners.
The jetty serves as the harbour for travellers to the coastal areas of Nembe in Bayelsa State, the Island of Bonny and Bille in Akuku-Toru local government area of Rivers State.
It was reconstructed by the administration of Government Nyesom Wike and commissioned on January 9, 2021, amidst pomp and pageantry.