According to AFP, the incident occurred on the morning of September 3 (local time) in Niger Delta - the main oil and gas exploitation area in Nigeria.
The Youth and Environment Mobilization Center (YEAC) - a non-governmental organization in Nigeria - confirmed information from a network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Okrika town government area, Rivers state.
At least 37 people have died after inhaling toxic gas from "Indorama" fuel. Rivers state police said victims are believed to be trying to steal oil from the pipeline.
YEAC reported that a group of young people connected the pipeline to the oil withdrawal point on the pipeline line that transports crude oil from the Indorama Eleme petrochemical facility through the Port Harcourt refinery to ships waiting to receive export oil. These people then pumped oil into their boats.
Niger Delta is a concentrated area of oil and gas resources worth billions of USD of Nigeria. However, local people still have to live in poverty after decades of oil exploitation, while environmental pollution is prolonged.
Oil leakage from pipelines is a serious problem in Nigeria - a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and one of Africa's largest oil producers. This activity not only causes resource loss but also entails the risk of fire, pollution and many fatal accidents.
In the swampy areas of Niger Delta, subjects often try to connect or drill pipelines to get crude oil, then illegally refine it into fuel and put it on the market.
