Two students of the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, have been confirmed dead in the explosion that rocked the Matrix Energy Tank Farm at Ifiekporo, Delta State.
The death of the students identified as Omare Sunny of Mechanical Engineering Department and Godstime Chuks of Petroleum Engineering Department was confirmed by the Students Union Government of the institution, on Sunday.
In a statement by the PTI SUG President, Comr. Esharedoro Christian Efe, the body dragged the company for insisting that there was no casualties recorded in the outbreak on Friday night.
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Efe said the two students worked as interns in the facility and were on duty when the explosion occured.
He further revealed that the incident claimed three lives on the spot, with two of them being students of the institution.
The deceased were National Diploma graduates, and were undergoing their mandatory one year industrial training exercise until their demise.
The PTI SUG in its statement, urged Matrix to debunk the “misguided information” and reach out to the family of the deceased students within 24 hours.
The statement, which also copied the Delta State Government, DSS, PTI management, among others read;
“24-HOURS ULTIMATUM TO DEBUNK THE MISGUIDED INFORMATION AS RELEASED IN YOUR PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT DATED 9TH JULY 2022 AND REACH OUT TO THE FAMILY OF THE DECEASED FROM THE GAS EXPLOSION AT YOUR LPG FACILITY
“Our Attention has been drawn to a communique from Matrix Energy Limited stating that no casualty was recorded from the explosion that occurred on the 8th of July, 2022.
“It is on record that two National Diploma graduates of the Petroleum Training Institute who were undergoing their Industrial Training by name Comr. Omare Sunny and Comr. Godstime Chuks from Mechanical Engineering Department and Petroleum Engineering Department respectively lost their lives to the cold hands of death due to that explosion. Such information is misguided, inhuman, unfair and evil.
“We frown at this occurrence and blame the management for not putting all necessary safety precautions in place which however, has led to the death of two young and vibrant students preparing for Higher National Diploma at their early prime.
“It is based on this, we are calling on the management of Matrix Energy Limited to as a matter of urgency debunk that information as it is capable of causing chaos in the students community and as such reach out to the family of the deceased with immediate effect.
“Failure to do this within the next 24hours, we shall be left with no other option than to mobilise our students in full force to shut down all forms of operations in that company.
“While hoping that justice will be served, we call on all concerned students both past and present to remain calm and not panic as we will be engaging the PTI National Alumni and relevant stakeholders to also swing into full action soonest.
“Until the right thing is done and justice is served nothing shall discourage us.”
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Delta State Government had announced that no casualty was recorded in the incident.
The delegation said 12 persons received injuries from the incident, and were admitted at the a hospital in nearby Ubeji.
Earlier, five dead bodies were recovered from the Warri river bank on Sunday afternoon. They were said to have drowned while trying to flee from the raging inferno.
READ ALSO: 5 Dead Bodies Recovered After Matrix Energy Tank Farm Explosion in Delta
