By Nkechi Eze
The Youth Against Disaster Initiative (YADI) has raised concerns over gaps in industrial safety, emergency preparedness and infrastructure monitoring following explosions in Edo and Rivers States that reportedly left five people feared dead and at least 31 others injured.
The organisation called for urgent measures to strengthen disaster risk reduction, enforce safety standards and improve emergency response systems to prevent similar incidents across the country.
According to an official statement signed by Ms Erabanabari Love Theophilus, South South Regional Coordinator of YADI, the explosions occurred in Oluku, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, and Aleto community, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, destroying homes, businesses and other properties worth millions of naira.
YADI described the incidents as a grave reminder of the consequences of inadequate risk prevention, delayed detection of hazardous conditions and weaknesses in emergency preparedness.
In Rivers State, a gas pipeline explosion reportedly occurred along Old Bori Road in Aleto community, Eleme, following a suspected leak from a pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Gas Company.
The incident reportedly injured at least 20 people and damaged approximately 50 houses, alongside shops, stalls, a mechanic workshop and vehicles within the affected area.
Similarly, a tanker explosion in Oluku, Edo State, reportedly left 11 people with varying degrees of burns, including a pregnant woman, while five people were feared dead. The injured victims were reportedly taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for medical attention.
The organisation noted that the impact of the incidents extended beyond the immediate casualties, as affected residents, traders and small-scale business owners faced economic hardship following the destruction of their homes, businesses and sources of livelihood.
While stressing the need for thorough investigations to establish the causes of the explosions, YADI called on the relevant authorities to identify possible safety breaches and ensure accountability where negligence was established.
It urged federal and state governments, emergency management agencies and infrastructure operators to provide immediate medical care and assistance to victims, including specialised treatment for those who sustained severe burns.
The organisation also called for deliberate attention to pregnant women, children and other vulnerable persons affected by the incidents.
On industrial safety, YADI urged pipeline operators and relevant companies to intensify routine inspections, leak detection, maintenance and risk assessments, particularly in communities located near gas pipelines and other hazardous infrastructure.
It further called for stricter enforcement of safety standards governing the transportation and handling of inflammable products, noting that effective monitoring and timely detection of hazards were essential to preventing avoidable disasters.
The initiative also advocated stronger coordination among the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agencies, fire services, civil society organisations and other first responders to improve early-warning systems, emergency communication and rapid-response capacity.
YADI called on governments and responsible operators to assess the extent of the damage and facilitate relief, recovery assistance and compensation where liability was established, particularly for injured victims, displaced households and traders whose livelihoods had been disrupted.
It also urged relevant agencies and development partners to intensify community awareness campaigns to educate residents living near pipelines, fuel depots, industrial facilities and major fuel transportation routes on recognising hazards, reporting suspected leaks, avoiding ignition sources and responding safely to emergencies.
“As an organisation committed to disaster risk reduction, community resilience and youth participation in humanitarian action, YADI urges the relevant authorities to ensure that affected communities are not left to bear the burden of these tragedies alone,” the statement said.
The organisation maintained that disaster response should go beyond rescue operations and immediate medical care to include livelihood restoration, psychosocial support where necessary and long-term measures to address the underlying risks.
YADI urged all stakeholders to act urgently, transparently and collaboratively to strengthen industrial safety systems, protect vulnerable communities and build greater resilience against disasters across Nigeria.
