No fewer than 12 people have been killed as explosion occurred at a pipeline tapping point in Rumuekpe community, Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The incident occurred along the Trans-Niger Delta Pipeline (TNP). Many vehicles and tricycles were burnt to ashes in the explosion.
Those dead including women were reportedly engaged in illegal refining of stolen crude oil.
Sources said that those killed were at the tapping point either waiting for their turn to load or that they have loaded the stolen crude oil.
Executive Director, Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), Fyneface Fyneface, confirmed the incident through the centre’s Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS).
According to Fyneface, the explosion occurred at about 2a.m. on Friday when a driver kicked the ignition of one of the buses loaded with stolen crude oil.
He said the bus was being used to transport the stolen crude oil to the location of the illegal refineries.
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