Contrary to claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) that there were no casualties in the fire incident that engulfed its facility in Cawthorne Channel 1, three corpses suspected to be victims of the incident have been found washed ashore.
Kristina Reports gathered that the bodies, which bore visible burn scars, were discovered on Monday, February 24, 2025, at approximately 2:00 PM along the shores of a fishing settlement behind Biekiri in the Cawthorne Channel axis of Iloamatoru Community.
A surveillance team in the area was alerted after two bodies were initially spotted floating in the waters. However, by the time they arrived at the scene, only one corpse remained, with reports that the other had been carried away by strong waves. As the search and rescue team began combing the area, they eventually discovered two more bodies, bringing the total number of casualties found to three.
Reacting to the grim discovery, the immediate past Chairman of the Iloamatoru Community Surveillance Committee, Daniel Pollyn, expressed deep regret over the incident. He urged families of staff working with NNPCL, OML 18 Energy, Sahara Group, and Eroton Exploration & Production Company Limited around Cawthorne Channel 1 to check on their loved ones.
“We shall take the corpses to the Police to do the needful, but families of NNPCL, OML 18, Sahara, and Eroton that have people working in that area should check with their loved ones,” Pollyn stated.
He advised concerned families to reach out to the police to identify the bodies, warning against taking NNPCL’s initial claim of no casualties at face value.
“They should check with the Police to identify the body if it is their relative. I think they should not take the NNPCL claim seriously, though we won’t interfere with that.”
Pollyn further noted that all community members working in the area had been accounted for, but he could not confirm the status of the company workers.
“On our part, all our community members who are working there have been accounted for, but we can’t say the same for the company workers. Let their families ask the company questions if their relatives have not come home since that Wednesday.”
The fire outbreak occurred on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at a facility in Cawthorne Channel 1, which is linked to OML 18 in Alakiri, Okrika LGA. The facility is jointly operated by NNPC Eighteen Operating Limited, NNPC Limited, and OML 18 Energy Limited.
In an official statement, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, confirmed that the fire erupted at approximately 14:10 hours on a dry crude storage barge, BESTAF5, before spreading to other barges in the facility.
According to Soneye, the company’s emergency response team, alongside industry partners, successfully contained the fire, adding that the incident did not disrupt operations at the flow station.
In the aftermath of the fire, NNPCL had asserted that there were no casualties, and all personnel working on the affected barges were safe.
“Most importantly, there were no casualties, and all personnel are safe,” Soneye stated.
He further emphasized NNPCL’s commitment to safety, environmental protection, and operational integrity, dismissing any concerns of loss of life.
“NNPC Ltd. prioritizes safety and remains fully committed to environmental protection and operational integrity.”
However, the discovery of three bodies with clear signs of fire burns has cast serious doubt on NNPCL’s statement, raising concerns about the transparency of the company’s report on the incident.
With the emergence of contradicting reports, there are growing calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire and possible casualties. While community members have accounted for their own, the focus is now shifting to workers employed by NNPCL, OML 18, Sahara Group, and Eroton Exploration & Production Company Limited.
Families of missing workers are being urged to reach out to company management for clarification on the status of their loved ones, while human rights groups and local leaders are pushing for an independent inquiry into the fire incident.
The discovery of these bodies is likely to fuel further scrutiny of NNPCL’s handling of the incident, with potential demands for government intervention. Authorities may be forced to conduct an independent autopsy on the recovered bodies to determine the exact cause of death and verify whether they were indeed victims of the fire outbreak.
For now, families and stakeholders await further clarifications as investigations into the Cawthorne Channel 1 fire disaster continue.
