At least 12 people have been killed in a devastating explosion at an oil pipeline in the West African country of Nigeria. Initial findings say they were illegally skimming crude oil when a spark from their transport vehicle caused the explosion, local police said Friday.
The accident happened near the town of Rumuekpe in Rivers State on the Atlantic Coast in a primitive illegal refinery. The extent of the damage to the environment initially remained unclear. In the past, similar incidents often led to widespread field and forest fires and heavy pollution of water bodies. An observer organization for oil spills in the Niger Delta expects the death toll to rise.
One of Africa’s largest oil producers
Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producers and a major supplier to the United States. However, most of the proceeds from sales end up in the pockets of corrupt government departments. The population of the Niger Delta, where most of the oil is produced, is largely poor and also limited by oil production in agriculture and fishing.
The theft of oil from the pipelines, which is then processed in illegal refineries, sometimes by dangerous methods, is all the more common. There are always explosions. The deadliest accident to date, in 1998, killed more than 1,000 people shoveling oil from a ruptured pipeline.
Source: Krone
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