An environmental group reported at least 37 deaths from toxic fumes during an alleged petrol theft from a pipeline in Rivers State.
At least thirty-seven people have died after inhaling toxic fumes while allegedly stealing petrol from a pipeline in Nigeria's Rivers State, an environmental group in the oil-rich region stated. Many are still missing after more than one hundred people descended on Okari Jetty in Okrika in small boats to collect the refined fuel under cover of darkness, according to the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC).
The police told the BBC an investigation is ongoing to determine the figures of those affected after people reportedly collapsed. Local reports indicated some fell into the Bonny River while others were taken to hospital. Theft from pipelines has been a problem for decades in Nigeria's oil hub, a vast area of swamps and wetlands along the coast.
Criminal groups have tapped pipelines for years, siphoning crude oil or other petroleum products into boats and storage tanks to be sold on the black market or taken to illegal refineries. Rivers State is one of several states that make up the southern Niger Delta region.
Why it mattersAt least 37 people died from toxic fumes while allegedly stealing petrol, affecting local communities and prompting a police investigation.
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