Nigeria Oil Theft Tragedy: At Least 37 Die After Toxic Fumes Overwhelm Illegal Crude Siphoning Operation
· Free Press Journal
Abuja (Nigeria): At least 37 people died in Nigeria's oil-producing Rivers state as they were trying to steal oil from a loading vessel, an advocacy group said Friday.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre said the victims were simultaneously siphoning crude products into their boats from an “illegal tapping point” on Thursday. It caused them to inhale toxic fumes at high pressure, leading to their deaths. Many are still missing, according to the report, quoting a network of volunteers.
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“The Rivers State Police Command can confirm the deaths. The victims were allegedly attempting to steal crude oil,” Blessing Agabe, Rivers State police spokesperson, said.
Oil theft is common in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, where decades of oil exploration have led to high levels of poverty and environmental degradation.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)