At Least 18 persons have been burnt to death by fire that engulfed an illegal oil refinery site at Ibaa, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Twenty-five others at the scene were injured when the inferno broke out Sunday night.
An amateur video of the fire showed remains of children, men and women littering the scene.
The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Basil Igwebueze, and Emuoha Local Government Area Chairman, Chidi Lloyd, confirmed the tragedy.
Igwebueze gave the death toll of 18, but a community source said it was 33.
The commandant said a pregnant woman, the son of the illegal refinery operator and an about-to-wed lady were among those burnt to ashes.
He said while the owner of the refinery, John Bodo, sustained severe injury, his son, Uche, who graduated recently from a tertiary institution, died on the spot.
Igwebueze said: “The fire outbreak started at a very late hour. Hence, 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition while 25 injured persons were rescued.
The commandant decried the unrepentant nature of those dealing illegally in petroleum products through the construction and operation of local refineries.
He said: “It is disheartening that the more we dismantle these illegal refineries, the more people engage in such unscrupulous activities.
While condoling with the affected families, the commandant warned those operating illegal refineries across the state to have a rethink.
A resident, Emmanuel Daniel, who put the number of those burnt to death at 33, said that 15 injured persons were rushed to the hospital.
He said the victims, mostly from Isiokpo Kingdom in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Ibaa and Oduoha in Emohua LGA, went to the area to trade on petroleum products when the fire broke out.
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