The death toll from last Saturday’s pipeline explosion in Kom Kom community, Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State has risen to 46, even as the community has begun profiling victims.
The Tide gathered reliably that three more corpses were removed from the scene of the unfortunate incident, last Wednesday, bringing the number of dead victims to 43.
Leader of the youths evacuating the corpses, Ethel Wokobia told newsmen that the three more corpses were recovered, last Wednesday evening, even as he said bodies were still trapped in the swamp.
He further said that they had informed those whose family members were still missing to check the swamp for possible identification and recovery.
Neither the police nor any agency of government is yet to make known the official casualty figure; though a team of four youths evacuating the corpses gave figures daily, based on their recovery efforts.
However, a register for families who lost loved ones in the incident has been opened in the community, as residents are expected to write their names and the number of their family members missing.
The Tide reports that as at Wednesday, no fewer than 26 families have written their names, with victims numbering 29.
Meanwhile, the Oyigbo Local Government Council Chairman, Hon Gerald Oforji has set up a five-man probe committee to ascertain the causes of the explosion.
Offorji, who inaugurated the committee at the council headquarters in Okoloma-Afam, described the explosion as one of the worst incidents in the area.
The LG chairman, who said that the incident had caused untold hardship on the people, also called for compensation for the families of the victims.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Hon Ndubuisi Okere, assured that the committee would never fail to deliver on their task, saying, “We will work as a team to deliver in the interest of Oyigbo”.
In a related development, the Oyigbo Local Government Council Chairman, Hon Gerald Oforji has said that the youths were losing patience over the deplorable condition of Afam-Obete Road, which, according to him, was a Federal Government road.
Oforji said this, yesterday, at the council hall during a meeting with security heads, traditional rulers, CDCs, youths and women leaders, and all key stakeholders in the LGA.
He decried the alleged negligence on the part of Federal Government having written series of letters on the said road.
“A council that produces over 20 per cent of the nation’s economy should not be allowed to suffer untold hardship. Afam-Obete road cannot be built by the council or state. It is Federal Government road as such we expect the needful to be done on the road”, he said, adding that the security meeting was in consonance with the directive of the State Chief Executive to ensure peaceful environment.

John Bibor & Dennis Naku