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...For a better society... Friday, September 17 2004 Vol 17 No.30 News Editorial Politics Opinion Foreign News Fashion Metro Sports Features Columnists View from America Business Money/Market Maritime Aviation Motoring Rail/Road 200 feared killed in pipeline explosion KALU AMAH ABOUT 200 people were feared killed in a petroleum products pipeline explosion on a tiny island close to Imori, Navy Town Lagos, Wednesday night. Police accounts said most of the dead, had been scooping fuel from a ruptured section of the pipeline when fire broke out triggering a huge explosion which consumed them. The fire was still raging as at yesterday evening when Daily Champion visited the scene. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained as at press time. Officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Police and the Navy were spotted engrossed in trying to put out the fire. The island where the incident occurred is located a few minutes’ boat ride from Navy Town. Charred remains of a few victims at the blast site were seen while eye witnesses and sympathizers said most of the dead jumped into the swirling sea as they tried to escape. According to an eyewitness, everybody living within the vicinity of the fire ran for the fear of being burnt or arrested by law enforcement agents. No property was lost to the fire as the pipeline was located across water." Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Emma Ighodalo confirmed the incident, but said he could not confirm the casualty rate, merely saying "people died there." A similar blast at a pipeline in Ejigbo, a Lagos suburb, some years back, also claimed several lives. Before that, a pipeline fire in Jesse, Delta State left about 800 dead while only last year, another of such incident at Isiukwuato, Abia State, claimed close to 200 people. Last July, an explosion at Ogbeke, a tiny community near Agbani, Enugu State led to the death of over seven members of the community, including three of the same family. In Lagos, the Atlas Cove fire some years ago reportedly burnt several people to death. NNPC has often called on Nigerians living in areas with pipelines to desist from rupturing the pipes in order to steal fuel, insisting that the measure is deadly in case of fire, apart from being an economic crime. But poverty and greed have been advanced in official quarters as reasons for pipeline vandalisation. NNPC said the scooped out fuel is loaded to nearby trucks or barges for sale. � 2004 @ Champion Newspapers Limited (All Right Reserved). Powered By dnetsystems.net dnet�

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