Three persons were yesterday burnt beyond recognition and seven others sustained various degrees of burns following an explosion that hit the pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Olugboboro community in Olodiama clan of Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State.
The explosion,which occurred on Easter Sunday while some technical staff of an Oil contacting firm known as Maco Marine,were working to clamp a ruptured section of the Agip Pipeline,was brought under control on Monday.
Three of the victims, including an underwater welder identified as Nelson Negibo,were burnt beyond recognition and their corpses recovered on Monday after the fire subsided.
Two of the victims were further identified as indigenes of Ada-ma in Twon-Brass of Brass local government area of the state.
Most of the victims with various degrees of burns, according to community sources, have been flown to various clinics in Bayelsa and Rivers States.
Confirming the incident, the state coordinator of the environmental group known as Environmental Right Action (ERA),Comrade Morris Alagoa,described the incident as a shocking and tragic.
Credit: Leadership