A fire which engulfed an illegal crude oil refinery complex in Abaezi forest, in the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, has killed at least hundreds of people.
Over 100 people were burnt beyond recognition and many others sustained various degrees of burnt according to eye witnesses
The State Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Goodluck Opiah, who spoke on behalf of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State during his visit to the scene, said the fire claimed the lives of a large number of young people.
He said, “at the moment, I can’t really confirm the number of the deceased because many family members have removed the corpses of so many others.”
Okenze Onyewoke, the proprietor of the illegal refinery, has been declared wanted by the Imo State government, according to Opiah.