This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

More than 50 people are missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede in southern Nigeria, a local official said on Saturday.

The blast early on Friday caused massive oil spillage in the Nembe kingdom in Bayelsa state, the Nembe Chiefs Council spokesman, Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, told the Associated Press.

The Nembe trunk line is operated by the Port Harcourt-based Aiteo Group and carries crude oil to the Bonny export terminal. Aiteo has yet to comment on the explosion. It was not immediately clear if the pipeline has been shut down.

Video obtained by the AP shows a large blaze from the ruptured pipeline at night as villagers look on. “If they turn off the oil well from the station, the pressure inside the pipeline would reduce, causing the flame to burn out,” one person is heard in the background explaining.

The Niger Delta is highly polluted. Nigerian oil companies usually assert that the majority of oil spills are caused by sabotage, theft and illegal refining.

Fatal accidents caused by leaking pipelines are common. In January, an overturned oil tanker exploded in Odukpani in Cross River state while dozens of people were scooping up the leaking fuel. Police said at least 12 people were killed while some witnesses estimated up to 60 were dead.

Hundreds of people have died in similar accidents in recent years in Africa’s largest oil producing country as impoverished people risk their lives to collect fuel leaking from pipelines or trucks.</s>More than 50 people are missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede in southern Nigeria, local officials say.

More than 50 people are missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede in southern Nigeria, local officials say.

More than 50 people missing after pipeline explodes in Nigeria

The Nembe Chiefs Council spokesman, Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, said that the blast caused a massive oil spillage in the Nembe kingdom in Bayelsa state.

The Nembe trunk line is operated by the Port Harcourt-based Aiteo Group and carries crude to the Bonny export terminal.

Video from the scene shows a large blaze from the ruptured pipeline as villagers look on.

One person can be heard in the background saying: "If they turn off the oil well from the station, the pressure inside the pipeline would reduce, causing the flame to burn out."

It is not immediately clear if the pipeline has been shut down. Aiteo is yet to comment on the explosion.

The Niger Delta is highly polluted. Nigerian oil companies usually assert that the majority of oil spills are caused by sabotage, theft and illegal refining.</s>More than 50 people missing after pipeline explodes, causes stampede in southern Nigeria, official says

WARRI, Nigeria (AP) — More than 50 people missing after pipeline explodes, causes stampede in southern Nigeria, official says.</s>A local official says more than 50 people are missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede in southern Nigeria.

 

 The Nembe Chiefs Council spokesman, Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, tells The Associated Press that the blast early Friday (local time) caused massive oil spillage in the Nembe kingdom in Bayelsa state.

 

 The Nembe trunk line is operated by the Port Harcourt-based Aiteo Group and carries crude to the Bonny export terminal. The pipeline is jointly owned by Agip, Oando and Shell Petroleum Development Company.

 

 Aiteo is yet to comment on the explosion. It is not immediately clear if the pipeline has been shut down.

 

 The Niger Delta is highly polluted. Nigerian oil companies usually assert that the majority of oil spills are caused by sabotage, theft and illegal refining.</s>WARRI, Nigeria (AP) — More than 50 people missing after pipeline explodes, causes stampede in southern Nigeria, official says.</s>In Nigeria, more than 50 people are missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede. The blast caused massive oil spillage in the Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa state in southern Nigeria.

The Nembe trunk line is operated by the Port Harcourt-based Aiteo Group and carries crude to the Bonny export terminal. The pipeline is jointly owned by Agip, Oando and Shell Petroleum Development Company.

Nigerian oil companies usually assert that the majority of oil spills are caused by sabotage, theft and illegal refining.</s>WARRI, Nigeria — More than 50 people were missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede in southern Nigeria, a local official said on Saturday.

Nengi James-Eriworio, a spokesman for the Nembe Chiefs Council, told The Associated Press that the blast on Friday caused a massive oil spill in the Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State.

There was no immediate word on injuries or other casualties beyond those missing.

The Nembe trunk line is operated by the Port Harcourt-based Aiteo Group and carries crude to the Bonny export terminal. The pipeline is jointly owned by Agip, Oando and Shell Petroleum Development Company.

Aiteo has not yet commented on the explosion. It was not immediately clear whether the pipeline had been shut down.</s>WARRI, Nigeria — More than 50 people missing after pipeline explodes, causes stampede in southern Nigeria, official says.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

WARRI, Nigeria (AP) — A local official says more than 50 people are missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede in southern Nigeria.

The Nembe Chiefs Council spokesman, Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, tells The Associated Press that the blast early Friday caused massive oil spillage in the Nembe kingdom in Bayelsa state.

The Nembe trunk line is operated by the Port Harcourt-based Aiteo Group and carries crude to the Bonny export terminal. The pipeline is jointly owned by Agip, Oando and Shell Petroleum Development Company.

Aiteo is yet to comment on the explosion. It is not immediately clear if the pipeline has been shut down.

The Niger Delta is highly polluted. Nigerian oil companies usually assert that the majority of oil spills are caused by sabotage, theft and illegal refining.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.</s>Nengi James-Eriworio, a spokesman for the Nembe Chiefs Council, told The Associated Press that the blast on Friday caused a massive oil spill in the Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State.

There was no immediate word on injuries or other casualties beyond those missing.

The Nembe trunk line is operated by the Port Harcourt-based Aiteo Group and carries crude to the Bonny export terminal. The pipeline is jointly owned by Agip, Oando and Shell Petroleum Development Company.

Aiteo has not yet commented on the explosion. It was not immediately clear whether the pipeline had been shut down.

Nigeria is among the world’s largest oil producers. Nigerian oil companies say that the majority of oil spills are caused by sabotage, ﻿theft and illegal refining﻿.

Spills have left the Niger Delta highly polluted. In years past, it has endured the equivalent of the ﻿Exxon Valdez﻿ spill every year for more than 50 years, by some estimates, with the crude spewing from rusted and aging pipes, unchecked by what analysts say is ineffectual or collusive regulation, and enabled by poor maintenance and sabotage.

In 2016, local community leaders ﻿initiated a court action in London ﻿against the energy giant Royal Dutch Shell, in a case with potentially far-reaching consequences for whether companies could be sued in Britain for pollution and damages caused by their activities in other countries.

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The farming and fishing communities said they had suffered years of damage because of repeated large spills from oil pipelines in their home areas. The Court of Appeal in London ruled last year that British courts ﻿do not have jurisdiction﻿ over the claims.
A leaking oil pipeline explodes in Bayelsa, Nigeria; a stampede follows. Over 50 are reported missing.