- Title: NIGERIA: Survivors of Nigeria's fuel pipeline blast find homes destroyed
- Date: 17th May 2008
- Summary: VARIOUS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL NEAR THE FIRE SCENE DEBRIS SMOULDERING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FEDALIS ONGARA, IJEGUN RESIDENT, SAYING: "Too many people died. The figure they even quoting is too low. The figure they are are quoting is given too low. A lot of people died. Why can't they take you people to see those people that are dead. Have they buried them? They came they were taking them away, taking them away. " SURVIVORS WALKING, SOME WITH SUITCASES ON THEIR HEADS.
- Embargoed: 1st June 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Energy
- Reuters ID: LVANP26J6QSAZBTCG0BB55ZPQCJ
- Story Text: Survivors of a fuel fire at a ruptured pipeline in Nigeria that claimed 100 lives, return home to find most of their property destroyed.
The survivors of a fire caused by a ruptured fuel pipeline that claimed at least 100 lives on Thursday (May 16), returned home on Friday to find their homes and property reduced to ashes.
The resident of Ijegun on the outskirts of Nigeria's sprawling city of Lagos, said they had lost relatives and everything to the fire that was ignited when a bulldozer ruptured a fuel pipeline. Many said they fled the area after hearing a loud explosion and seeing huge flames devouring everything in its path.
Government officials visited the scene and described it as a disaster but said the number of the dead was much less than that reported in the media.
The officials were led by the deputy governor of Lagos State, Sarah Sosan. She told reporters that government was working with the national oil company to locate all the pipelines in order to avoid a similar accident.
"We have already contacted the the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) to give us the map of where the pipes are. So that we continue to collaborate with them, so that this kind of occurrence will not happen again. We know where the pipes are and we are even aware how sensitive people against vandalism, because it is part of what causes this kind of incident," she said.
A network of oil and fuel pipelines criss-crosses parts of Nigeria and explosions and fires that kill many are frequent.
In the creeks of the Niger Delta, the country's main oil producing zone, the pipelines are also the target of sabotage attacks by local militants seeking greater control over oil revenues and more development for their impoverished region.
Previous accidental pipeline blasts in Nigeria have been caused by vandals who drilled holes in the feeder lines, used to distribute mainly imported fuel, in order to steal petrol for sale on the black market.
Despite the country's oil wealth, most Nigerians live on less than 2 U.S. dollars per day and many are prepared to take huge risks to obtain free fuel.
In such situations, a small number of organised thieves usually drill a hole in a pipeline, but as word spreads others come and try to steal the fuel, often leading to outbreak of fires. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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