Nigerian Police call for increased surveillance on pipelines (2006-05-14 03:20:13)

    LAGOS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Inspector-General of Police Sunday Ehindero on Saturday called for increased surveillance of pipelines in Nigeria to avert associated deaths arising from pipeline vandalism.

Nigerian president orders full investigations into pipeline blast (2006-05-13 23:28:08)

    LAGOS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has ordered the police to conduct full investigation into the cause of the pipeline blast near the commercial capital of Lagos which claimed more than 200 lives, senior official said on Saturday.

The photo shows the burnt bodies of the victims of the oil pipeline blast. (Xinhua/AFP)

    LAGOS, May 12 (Xinhua) -- About 200 people were feared killed in an oil pipeline explosion in early hours of Friday, said a statement issued by the Lagos State Police Command.

Backgrounder: Pipeline disasters in Nigeria in recent years 

    A pipeline exploded on the outskirts of Nigeria's economic capital Lagos on Friday, killing up to 200 people.

    In recent years, pipeline explosions have occurred frequently in Nigeria, causing heavy casualties.

    Oct. 18, 1998 - Thieves siphoning off oil sparked a pipeline explosion and fire that swept through the village of Jesse in the southern Nigerian state of Delta, killing more than 1,000 people.

    July 10, 2000 - Over 200 people were killed in a fire near Warri, southern Nigeria, when an oil pipeline from which they were trying to siphon off fuel exploded.

    Nov. 30, 2000 - An oil pipeline caught fire at a distribution center of oil products on the outskirts of Lagos, killing more than 60 people.

    June 19, 2003 - An oil pipeline exploded in a village in Abia state, killing some 100 people.

    Sept. 16, 2004 - Nearly 50 people were killed in a pipeline explosion on the outskirts of Lagos.

    Oct. 21, 2005 - Some 60 oil thieves were killed in a fire after a pipeline exploded in the southern Nigerian state of Delta. Enditem