More than 100 killed in illegal Nigerian oil refinery explosion | Nigeria
More than 100 people have died in an explosion at an illegal oil refinery on the border of Nigeria’s Rivers and Imo states, a local government official and an environmental group said Saturday.
“The fire broke out at an illegal catering site and affected more than 100 unidentified people,” State Commissioner for Petroleum Resources Goodluck Opia said.
The refueling site was in the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State in the Abaezi Forest that straddles the border of the two states.
Unemployment and poverty in the oil-producing Niger Delta have made illegal crude refining an attractive business, but with deadly consequences. Crude oil is extracted from a network of pipelines owned by major oil companies and refined into products in temporary tanks.
The dangerous operation led to several fatal accidents, as well as polluting an area already hit by oil spills in farmlands, streams and lakes.
The Center for Environmental and Youth Defense said several vehicles in line to buy illegal fuel were burnt in the explosion.
The frontier site is a reaction to the Rivers governor’s recent crackdown on illegal refining in an effort to curb worsening air pollution.
“The Governor of Rivers recently made a move to crack down on illegal refineries in Rivers, so he has to move to the periphery and neighboring countries. “In the past month or two, there have been several raids,” said Ledum Mete, former head of the Ogoni People’s Survival Movement (Mosop). Some of the security personnel involved have been dealt with.”
At least 25 people, including some children, were killed in an explosion and fire at another illegal refinery in Rivers State in October.
In February, local authorities said they had launched a campaign to try to put an end to the refining of stolen crude, but apparently with little success.
Government officials estimate that Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer and exporter, is losing an average of 200,000 barrels of oil per day – more than 10% of production – to those who tap or sabotage pipelines.
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