A tragedy in Okrika, Rivers State, has left at least 37 people reportedly dead after petroleum fumes overwhelmed people gathered around the Okari Jetty.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, has also left several people reportedly missing, while some survivors are receiving medical attention.
The immediate circumstances point to the dangerous consequences of illegal petroleum activities, but the tragedy goes beyond the question of oil theft.
It raises a much bigger question about the economic desperation that continues to push young Nigerians into extremely dangerous activities in oil-producing communities.
Illegal bunkering is clearly dangerous, but simply describing the victims as oil thieves does not explain why such activities continue to attract desperate young people.
For Rivers State and the wider Niger Delta, the incident should renew the debate over how to reduce illegal refining and oil theft while creating safer and legitimate economic opportunities for communities that depend on the oil environment.
The authorities must establish exactly what happened, identify the victims and missing persons, and determine whether negligence or criminal activity contributed to the tragedy.
The bigger concern is that without addressing the conditions that sustain illegal petroleum activities, another tragedy may only be a matter of time.
Viewers Corner News will continue to follow developments from Port Harcourt.
By Viewers Corner News