At least 20 persons were injured while more than 50 houses were razed following a gas pipeline explosion in Aleto community, Eleme Local Council of Rivers State on Thursday evening, with some residents blaming authorities involved in checking oil spill for the incident.

The explosion, which occurred around 5p.m. along Old Bori Road, reportedly involved a ruptured pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC).

There were, however, conflicting accounts of the cause of the incident. While some residents claimed it was caused by suspected interference by pipeline vandals, others attributed the explosion to a gas leak from the ruptured pipeline.

A resident, Emmanuel Obe, said the explosion was caused by vandals. But another resident, Michael Udoh, said the pipeline had been leaking for about three weeks before the explosion.

“The pipeline has caused injuries and damaged property. This pipeline has been leaking for about three weeks before the explosion today,” he said.

Several victims were reportedly rushed to hospitals, while stalls, a mechanic workshop and vehicles parked within the vicinity were affected by the inferno.

Udoh added that most of those affected were passers-by and business owners operating in the area.

Confirming the incident, the Leader of the Eleme Legislative Council, Daniel Chuma, said he had earlier written to the company about the leakage and petitioned relevant authorities for urgent intervention.

Chuma, who visited the scene, said the council had also petitioned the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, with a copy sent to the police.

“There was a leakage on another section of the Nigeria Gas Company. We wrote to them and we made a petition to NOSDRA and Rivers State Ministry of Environment and copied the police for urgent intervention.

“We asked for a joint investigation. We don’t know what they did before they left. Today, we were called to an explosion at the same pipeline of the Nigeria Gas Company that has destroyed over 50 houses, cars and many casualties. People have been rushed to the hospital,” Chuma said.

Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has reacted to the incident, saying several victims had been hospitalised.

In a statement, the Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene, called on the Rivers State government, the Federal Ministry of Environment and NOSDRA to intervene urgently and provide assistance to affected residents.

“We are using this medium to call on the relevant authorities, the Rivers State government, Ministry of Environment, NOSDRA, the Federal Government and all the bodies involved in checking oil spill and gas explosion to come to the aid of Aleto people. This is a serious incident,” he said.

Dumnamene said the fire was still raging as of the time of the statement, with surrounding buildings affected and some residents reportedly hospitalised.

He, however, said the organisation had not independently confirmed any fatalities.

According to him, volunteers who visited the scene to verify the incident confirmed the presence of officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“The cause of the incident is yet to be independently verified,” he said.

Dumnamene urged NOSDRA to identify the operator of the affected facility and conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to the site.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has called on operators in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector to strengthen safety measures, regulatory compliance and digital monitoring to reduce operational losses and support industry growth.

The association made the call at its 2026 webinar themed, ‘Downstream LPG Operational Excellence and Compliance,’ which brought together industry operators, regulators and other stakeholders to discuss safety risks, market volatility, operational losses and regulatory requirements.

Speaking at the event, NALPGAM National President, Edu Inyang, said the industry’s growth must go beyond increasing volumes to prioritise safe and sustainable operations.

“The future of Nigeria’s LPG industry cannot be achieved by increasing volumes alone. We must grow safely, responsibly, efficiently and sustainably. Safety is not an occasional campaign; it must become a continuous industry culture,” he said.

A key outcome of the webinar was the adoption of the aspiration for a “NALPGAM Standard of Operational Excellence,” built on four principles: safe and well-maintained facilities, competent and trained operators, compliant processes and customer protection.

Participants called on operators to integrate safety into daily operations, strengthen preventive maintenance, comply with licensing and incident-reporting requirements and eliminate unsafe practices, including unauthorised propane blending and illegal decanting.

Inyang said compliance should be viewed as a means of improving business performance rather than merely meeting regulatory obligations.

“Compliance is not merely a regulatory burden; it is a business advantage. Well-managed LPG operations reduce accidents, improve efficiency, protect investments and strengthen public confidence in our industry,” he said.

The webinar also identified digital technologies, including smart filling systems, automated tank gauges, load cells, flow metres and vehicle tracking as tools for reducing product losses, improving accountability and strengthening operational efficiency.

With Nigeria targeting LPG consumption of approximately five million tonnes yearly by 2030, stakeholders called for greater industry participation in the Decade of Gas LPG penetration programme and stronger collaboration to expand access, improve cylinder traceability and promote certified local manufacturing.

NALPGAM also urged regulators and programme coordinators to involve its members in implementing LPG penetration and cylinder recirculation initiatives, citing their nationwide reach and proximity to consumers. (The Guardian)