At least 20 people were killed in an explosion as they stole fuel from a damaged pipeline in a fishing community near Nigeria’s economic capital, Lagos, police said on Thursday.
Fire broke out on Tuesday night in the Ilado community on a pipeline operated by the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Lagos state police spokesperson Emmanuel Ighodalo said.
”We understand some 20 people were killed. But we are still investigating the incident to get an accurate picture of the situation,” he said.
A senior officer with the police marine unit said officers have cordoned off the scene of the blast.
”Our men have taken over the place. We believe there could still be some people yet to be accounted for. The people were stealing fuel from the burst pipeline when the explosion occurred,” he said.
”Dozens of people were consumed in the inferno. The fire was still raging as of last night,” he added.
An NNPC spokesperson said group managing director Funsho Kupolokun has visited the scene of what is the latest in a series of deadly explosions.
Four months ago, about 50 people were killed at Imore, another Lagos suburb, while stealing fuel — and there have been several more recent blasts.
In October 1998 in Jesse, a fishing community in Delta State, more than 1 000 villagers were ripped apart by an explosion as they scooped up fuel. — Sapa-AFP