LAGOS, Nigeria - A ruptured gasoline pipeline exploded in flames, killing at least 34 people near Nigeria's main city of Lagos as they tried to scoop fuel from the gushing leak, police said Wednesday.

The explosion Tuesday morning at Agbogbo, a village near the coastal city of Lagos, occurred on a stretch of pipeline in remote swamp waters, and news of it did not filter out until Wednesday morning.

The pipeline carries gasoline, imported for domestic use, from the Lagos port to inland depots across the country.

"We counted a total of 34 bodies at the scene," Lagos police spokesman Frank Mbah told reporters.

Nigerian Red Cross official Abiodun Orebiyi confirmed dozens of deaths and injuries, but said the final toll was not yet clear.

Most of the victims were women and children who had crowded at the scene with jerry cans and buckets in the hope of collecting fuel for sale or personal use, witnesses said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071226/ap_on_re_af/nigeria_pipeline_fire

Talk about starting off the new year with a bang.

Jakumo:

Talk about starting off the new year with a bang.

It more or less equivalent to sucide bombing.

Such reoccuring man-made disasters are not unusual in our beloved oil-rich Nigeria.

It is not an abnormal news.

About a year ago, at least 260 people died in one pipeline explosion in Lagos.

It is only in primitive countries like Nigeria that pipeline explosions will occur on a yearly basis. Human sacrifices to the gods and goddess of "crude oil"!!!!

What a depressing way to end the year.

I feel sorry for families that lost loved ones in these explosion, but when will these people learn that petroleum is very flammable and it don't take much to ignite the fumes.

A big bang it is

ono:

A big bang it is

Yes oooooo, It was a very big [b][/b]BANG BANG

how sad

May their soul rest in the peace of the Lord, the Economic situation of the country of the nation is hard, but when will Nigerians see DEATH and run away from it??

I particularly liked the way Mazaje left out the remaining part of the yahoo story:

"Many have fled deeper into their villages afraid they may be arrested," said Orebiyi. "We're sending volunteers into the villages to persuade them to come for treatment."

Most of the victims were women and children who had crowded at the scene with jerry cans and buckets in the hope of collecting fuel for sale or personal use.

Despite its oil riches, the vast majority of Nigerians remain impoverished, living on less than $1 a day, tempted by the opportunities to obtain free fuel in spite of the dangers.

More than 400 people died in two similar pipeline explosions in Lagos in 2006. Authorities blame the disasters on criminal gangs who break into the pipelines to siphon fuel for sale, attracting crowds of people who come in their wake to scavenge for fuel.

we deliberatley kill ourselves every year

You know what? It is BLACK people getting killed.

And it is annoying people asking why are you Nigerians killing yourselves.

It rubs on ALL OF US!

This and many more to come is the aftermath and end product of Obasanjo misrule and impoverisation of the people.
This more so, as he was the defacto oil minister who only enriched himself and cronies.

This is not to absolve our ignorant people of their stupidity and greed and destroying pipelines and disregarding the volatility of the petroleum products the were trying to steal.
It goes to further butress the fact our people only see thieves as heros. Hence, they seek to be likethem!

why can they not learn that pipelines are dangerous to your health?

why can they not learn that pipelines are dangerous to your health?

because for them there is no difference between being alive or dead. They are already DEAD-ALIVE.

thanks to lack of: opportunity, education, health, house, food, security, etc

well killing yourself is not going to make the opportunity come is it?
Staying alive can make you find them.

well killing yourself is not going to make the opportunity come is it?
Staying alive can make you find them.

there are already DEAD-ALIVE so no opportunity WILL ever come their way.

atleast about a million nigerians are DEAD-ALIVE, they are only waiting for physical death to come.

babasin:

there are already DEAD-ALIVE so no opportunity WILL ever come their way.

atleast about a million nigerians are DEAD-ALIVE, they are only waiting for physical death to come.

That's it. You've hit the nail directly with a big bang.