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200 people are feared dead in an explosion at an oil pipeline near Lagos in Nigeria. Many of the bodies have been burnt beyond recognition. Firefighters were on the scene of the explosion at Ilado, a fishing village 25 miles east of Nigeria's main city of Lagos, and Red Cross workers were helping survivors.

"There was a big fire and quite a number of people died," Red Cross spokeswoman Okon Umoh said. Many of the bodies had fallen into the water of the coastal village. The blast took place when villagers were scooping out fuel that was gushing out from a ruptured pipe.

Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer, the world's seventh-biggest exporter and fifth-biggest source of U.S. oil imports.But, most of the population lives in poverty.The pipelines often pass through poor communities, which break them to steal the valuable oil.

Nigeria has a history of pipeline disasters. At least 1000 people died in Jesse in a pipeline blast in October 1998.

Sources

• "Scores die in Nigeria oil blast". BBC, May 12, 2006
• "200 Feared Dead in Nigeria Oil Blast". The Tribune Democrat, May 12, 2006

This article originally appeared at WikiNews.

1 Comments:

Chijioke Uba said...

What do you expect when the most irresponsive people are at the helm of affairs in a rich country like Nigeria. As long as nigeria continues to have leaders as the such we have today, the masses will continue to live in penury and will continue to rush to collect oil or gasoline from ruptured pipes. From my point of view, the worse is yet to happen.While Nigerians continue to live and suffer out of poverty, our callous president as is rumoured can afford to bribe legislators so he can continue for a third term. If after 8 years Obasanjo has not done anything for the people except increase hardship, then he should be blamed for the lives lost when people seek means of sustaining themselves insad instances as the one that has just occured. This sad incident aptly shows what the system is like in the Nigerian context; people seeking to eke out a living in the most dangerous forms, in a country blessed with human and natural resources but CURSED by the leadership of irresponsive, heartless and WICKED people

Chijioke Uba
Tottenham London

2:15 PM  

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