At least 100 dead in Lagos oil pipeline blast.

15 May, 2008

At least 100 people including many children have died in an oil pipeline explosion in the Ijegun suburb of Lagos, local Red Cross sources report.

The blast occurred on 15 May after a bulldozer allegedly mistakenly ruptured the pipeline during a road-building project in the area. The explosion tore through the surrounding area, destroying houses and schools and sending people running for safety. Dozens of injured have been taken to hospital and many people are reportedly still missing.

Oil pipeline explosions are a regular occurrence in Nigeria usually as a result of vandalism for fuel theft. In 2006 around 400 people were killed in two separate incidents in Lagos and the following year 40 people lost their lives, also in the commercial capital. However it seems that the latest explosion was just a tragic accident.