Panic has engulfed Uzere Community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, after gaseous substances erupted at different locations in London Base in Uweye Quarter in the community.
The latest incident is occuring at Oil Well 14 in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30, a facility owned and managed by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL) in Uzere,
Residents of the affected areas, have raised the alarm, alleging that the eruption has increased in intensity and is actively spreading since it was first noticed three days ago.
The king of Uzere, Isaac Udogri 1, who spoke to journalists on Thursday, said residents of the community woke up to witness the strange and frightening development.
“The uncontrolled emissions of gas from the ground in countless places, including in residential houses and farmlands accompanied by open fire is an indication that we are no longer safe in our community,” he said.
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“Night photographs from the community shows open flames burning directly from the ground inside Uzere. This is raw gas burning in a residential area.
“,If this fire spreads or if the gas accumulates, we might likely witness mass explosion and monumental loss of lives and property. This is a clear violation of our fundamental rights to life and healthy environment”
The monarch then called on the federal and state governments to declare a state of emergency in Uzere and also direct regulatory agencies to immediately dispatch their emergency response team to Uzere to see first hand the danger being faced by residents.
Also reacting to the incident, the Vice President of Uzere community, Abednego Abugo, described the incident as a strange occurrence, as such has not been experienced before in the community.
He called on the state and federal governments, and the oil company operating in the area to urgently intervene, adding that “we cannot say whether it is the gods that are causing the gas emission or an act of God;. Our lives are not safe”.
He recalled the ugly experience of the blowout in Uzere Well 14, regretting that the company has not done any meaningful remediation work.
Abugo accused the oil company of not showing any form of corporate social responsibility by providing relief materials to the affected victims, but is always using the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as an excuse.
He called on the company to ensure that the residents of the affected areas are relocated to safer places, and engage experts to do an assessment of the situation to avoid casualties.
As at the time of filing this report, the operators of OML 30 JVP are yet to officially react to the development, though some of their staff were seen milling around the vicinity but refused to speak to journalists.
