At least 25 people were killed in an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in the Nigerian state of Rivers on Friday. Which reports Reuters news agency Sunday. Authorities in the area have confirmed that an explosion has taken place, but have not yet released an exact number of casualties.
A large fire started after the explosion. According to local news media, some victims are difficult to identify due to the severe burns. What is certain is that several minors are among the victims.
Southern Nigeria is rich in oil and poor local communities are trying to make a profit by tapping pipelines. However, when cooking oil to make fuel, accidents often occur. In 2019, for example, several people lost their lives when a leaking pipeline exploded in southern Nigeria.
In addition to the dangers to the population and the enormous damage to the environment that such accidents entail, the economic damage caused by oil theft is also great, according to the Nigerian government. At least 10 percent of daily oil production, equivalent to 200,000 barrels per day, is lost to theft and vandalism, according to the authorities. Despite this, Nigeria is still Africa’s largest oil exporter.
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