Sharjah 24 – Reuters: At least 25 people, including some minors, were killed in an explosion and fire at an illegal oil refinery in Nigeria's Rivers state on Friday, a local leader and a resident told Reuters on Sunday.

"The casualties involved are very high ... we are counting 25 bodies," Ifeanyi Omano, a community leader, told Reuters, adding: "We aren't certain of their identities yet," he said, adding that the dead included some minors.

Omano and local resident Chikwem Godwin said the explosion took place in the early hours of Friday, adding people from several communities were killed.

A local police spokesman previously confirmed the incident but did not disclose the numbers of casualties.