Pregnant woman, toddler, others feared dead as fire guts jetty in Port Harcourt

Several persons, including a pregnant woman and a toddler, have been reportedly burnt to death in an early morning fire at the popular Bonny-Bille-Nembe jetty in the Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Several fibre and wooden boats are also said to be destroyed in the inferno which started at about 2 am on Monday.

The cause of the massive blaze is not known. However, previous fire outbreaks at the jetty had been attributed to the storage of inflammable substances like petroleum products used in powering the speed boat engines in makeshift buildings within the slump.

The last fore outbreak at the jetty was in November during which several persons were burnt and properties estimated at several millions of naira, destroyed.

The jetty is usually a busy transit point for thousands of residents traveling from Port Harcourt by sea to Bonny, Bille, Nembe, and other riverine communities.

The effects of these disasters are usually massive due to slow response to emergencies by the authorities or difficulties accessing the scene due to the terrain. (Channels TV)