RismadarVoice Reporters
September 22, 2026
A victim of the Bille Community fire incident, Joy Amos, has died while receiving treatment at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt.
Amos was among residents affected by the fire incident in Bille, Rivers State, and had been receiving medical attention following injuries sustained in the incident.
The Rivers State Government, through the Office of the Deputy Governor, had taken responsibility for her medical expenses while she underwent treatment.
Coordinator of the PILEX Centre, Courage Nsirimovu, confirmed Amos’ death and called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and her eventual death.
Nsirimovu alleged that gas leakage had continued in the affected area despite the earlier fire incident, adding that another explosion had reportedly occurred in a nearby compound.
He also called for an independent autopsy to determine the cause of Amos’ death.
Nsirimovu further urged relevant authorities to consider temporarily relocating residents from areas considered unsafe until appropriate measures are taken to address the reported gas seepage and prevent further incidents.
The gas seepage in Bille Community has previously attracted the attention of federal authorities amid concerns over its potential environmental and public health implications.
In July, the House of Representatives Committee on the South-South Development Commission criticised the response of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to the prolonged gas leakage reported in the community.
The committee described the situation as a serious environmental and public health emergency and called for appropriate intervention.
The Federal Government had also said earlier in September that medical care and relief materials were provided to affected residents between July 27 and September 1 as part of intervention efforts in the community.
