At least 50 people are missing after a pipeline exploded in southern Nigeria on Friday morning. As Time reported, the Niger Delta is highly polluted after uncontrollable leaking oil followed the powerful explosion.
A large blaze from the ruptured pipeline at Friday led to the injuries among the workers, the Nembe Chiefs Council spokesman, Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, told the journalists. The blast caused massive oil spillage in the Nembe kingdom in Bayelsa state, over 50 people missing, confirmed the local authorities. If they turn off the oil well from the station, the pressure inside the pipeline would reduce, causing the flame to burn out.
The Port Harcourt-based Aiteo Group has not commented on despite the video of the tragic incident uploaded to the internet immediately. In fact, social and ecological responsibility is a very sensitive issue for every oil company operating in Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer. The local oil companies usually assert that the majority of oil spills are caused by sabotage, theft and illegal refining.
The most recent pipeline explosion led to the death of at least 50 people, similar deadly accidents caused by leaking pipelines are alarmingly common. In January, an overturned oil tanker exploded in Odukpani in Cross River state while dozens of people were scooping up the leaking fuel. According to the local police, 12 people were killed while some sources estimated up to 60 were dead.
Hundreds of people have died in similar accidents in recent years in Nigeria as impoverished people risk their lives to collect fuel leaking from pipelines or trucks.
