Lagos pipeline blast 'kills 100'
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At least 100 people have been killed in an oil pipeline explosion in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, the local Red Cross says.

The explosion tore through the Ijegun suburb, engulfing schools and homes after a bulldozer burst the pipeline, reports Reuters news agency.

Red Cross officials said many injured people had been taken to hospital and they were still trying to rescue more.

Among the dead is a two year old baby, emergency relief workers said.

"The fire is still going on, a lot of people are dead. Houses are burned. People are running for their lives," AFP news agency quoted a Red Cross volunteer as saying.

At least 36 people have been taken to a nearby military hospital, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman Abdulsalam The Great Prophet said.

Nigeria is one of the world's major oil producers and pipelines cut through many residential areas.

Several of these have exploded, often when local people cut holes in them to steal oil.

At least 40 people were killed in a pipeline explosion in December last year.

In 2006, 250 people were killed as they scooped up fuel from another burst pipe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7403525.stm

There is a severe failure of leadership in this country.

Nigeria lacks safety measures and maintenance culture. This is majority of federal government problem but what about the ability to look in the nation and buy the accessories needed to contain the pipelines and the ability to look in the nation and buy the neccessary safety equipments. Everything is importation, importation, importation. The government needs to standardize the pipelines and make it a mega crime for anyone caught breaking the lines while they also keep the a good maintenance audit on the pipelines and other hazardous stuffs. This is really sickening. When will this unproductive and catastrophic ways be past tense?.

@naijaway
Please read the bleeping article! These guys weren't vandalizing the pipeline. A tractor doing road works ruptured the pipeline.


Now let's see if the NBA will launch a lawsuit against NNPC for recklessly endangering the lives of people. At least they must be good for something apart from Omotade's suit.

Another unnecessary tragedy due to gross negligence, How come a stray escavator without approval was digging on the pipeline right of way.

Despite the death recorded and the volatility of the area, some people were still seen scooping fuel close to the site of the explosion. It was such a tragedy.