Many people have reportedly been hospitalised following an explosion in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The Guardian gathered that the incident, which was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report, affected nearby buildings, with some residents reportedly hospitalised following the impact.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was said to be at the scene monitoring the situation and participating in rescue efforts.

Although the cause of the explosion is yet to be independently verified, preliminary reports have linked it to a pipeline rupture allegedly caused by equipment failure at a facility said to belong to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), an organisation that monitors environmental issues, confirmed the explosion in Aleto, Eleme LGA.

Its Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, said volunteers from the organisation had visited the scene to independently verify the incident.

YEAC-Nigeria called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to identify the operator of the affected facility and conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site.

The organisation also urged the agency to invoke relevant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, where applicable. (The Guardian)