Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

At least 25, including minors, died in illegal refinery blast in Nigeria

Published 24/10/2021, 19:13
Updated 24/10/2021, 19:15
© Reuters

© Reuters

By Tife Owolabi

YENAGOA, Nigeria (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.

Illegal refining is common in the oil-rich Delta region of Nigeria as impoverished locals tap pipelines to make fuel to sell for a profit. The practice, which can be as basic as boiling crude oil in drums to extract fuel, is highly dangerous.

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil exporter. Officials estimate it loses an average of 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil - more than 10% of its production - to those tapping or vandalising pipelines. The theft and vandalism contribute to enormous pollution in the region.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.