No
fewer than 12 persons suspected to be oil workers have died in a
pipeline explosion in Azuzuama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of
Bayelsa State.
Also, three unidentified persons were
injured in the explosion, which occurred on Thursday night along the
Tebidaba-Azuzuama trunk line belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company.
The explosion took place at an oil spill site operated by Agip where a joint investigation visit was ongoing.
Officials of Agip, representatives of
the host community and Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment were
investigating the cause of a recent oil spill in the area.
According
to a statement by an Eni spokesperson, Mr. Filipo Cotalini, the parent
company of NAOC, the cause of the explosion is being investigated.
Cotalini said, “An explosion occurred on
Thursday, July 9, 2015, late afternoon, at the site of the repair works
of the Tebidaba-Clough Creek line, an oil pipeline in Nigeria’s onshore
Niger Delta, previously damaged by acts of sabotage.
“The explosion resulted in the death of
12 members of the maintenance team of a local service company, with
three others being injured.
“The causes of the incident are still under investigation by both Eni and the local authorities.
“The company expresses its deepest condolences to the families involved in this tragic accident.”
But community sources said the explosion
occurred during a joint investigation visit for the official clamping
of a spillage site along the route of the Agip pipeline.
They said the victims of the explosion were burnt beyond recognition.
Though no one could confirm the
identities of the victims, it was gathered that the joint investigation
team was made up of officials from the Ministry of the Environment,
Department of Petroleum Resources, NAOC, representative of the Azuzuama
Community and the NOSDRA.
It was further learnt that two soldiers attached to the team for security cover might have also been killed in the explosion.
A former Vice-Chairman, Azuzuama
Community Development Committee, Dennis Dumde, confirmed the recovery of
12 bodies from the explosion site between Thursday night and Friday
morning.
He said though the source of the fire
was still unknown, the identities of the victims could not be
ascertained as they were burnt beyond recognition.
Also confirming the incident, the State
Coordinator, Environmental Right Action, Mr. Alagoa Morris, said a team
of government officials had been deployed to the community by the
Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Inuro Wills.
The police spokesperson, Mr. Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident.
He said the incident occurred while Agip workers were carrying out routine maintenance at Gbaraun/Tebidaba.
He said 12 persons, including a soldier
were burnt beyond recognition. According to him, six other bodies were
recovered while four persons were rescued alive and were undergoing
treatment at an undisclosed hospital
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