At least 20 people have reportedly been injured and some houses damaged by fire following a gas pipeline explosion in the Aleto community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, on Thursday evening.

The explosion, which reportedly occurred around 5 p.m. along Old Bori Road, was blamed on a ruptured pipeline said to belong to the Nigeria Gas Company.

Several victims were reportedly rushed to hospitals, while stalls, a mechanic workshop and vehicles parked inside the workshop were among the properties affected by the explosion.

An eyewitness, who spoke with our correspondent over the phone, said the pipeline had been leaking for about three weeks before the explosion.

He alleged that community leaders had raised the alarm about the leak but that no adequate measures were taken to prevent the incident.

According to him, many of those affected were passers-by and people conducting business in the area.

Confirming the incident, the Leader of the Eleme Legislative Council, Daniel Chuma, who visited the scene, said he had earlier written to the company over the reported leak and petitioned relevant authorities for urgent intervention.

Chuma said the council had also petitioned the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, with the police copied, and requested a joint investigation into the leak.

“There was a leakage in another section of the Nigeria Gas Company. We wrote to them, and we did a petition to NOSDRA and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment and copied the police for urgent intervention,” he said.

“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 houses, cars, and caused many casualties. People have been rushed to the hospital.”

The council leader also expressed concern that no representative of the company had visited the scene as of the time he spoke.

He said community members had cordoned off the affected area with caution tape and advised residents to stay away to avoid further danger.

Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has called for urgent intervention by the Rivers State and Federal Governments and relevant environmental agencies.

In a statement, the organisation’s Executive Director, Fyneface Fyneface, said surrounding buildings had been affected, and some residents were hospitalised.

YEAC-Nigeria said it had not independently confirmed any fatalities and that the cause of the explosion remained unverified.

The organisation urged NOSDRA to identify the facility operator and conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

It also called for relevant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 to be applied where appropriate.

The reported injuries, property damage and allegations that the pipeline had been leaking for weeks have heightened calls for a thorough investigation into the incident and urgent measures to protect residents of Aleto.