▲ Petroleum leaked in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria (The photo above is not related to the article.)
At least 43 people have reportedly died after inhaling toxic fumes while attempting to steal oil in Nigeria's major oil-producing Rivers State.
According to local daily Vanguard and the UK's BBC, local media, and other sources on the 4th (local time), some 200 youths and other individuals from nearby areas arrived by boat late the previous night at the Okari jetty in the Okrika area of Rivers State, targeting a vessel moored to load petroleum products for export.
They reportedly attempted to siphon off petroleum products by connecting pipes to a pipeline while the products were being pumped under high pressure into the vessel via a pipeline connected to a nearby petrochemical plant.
Residents reported that the process released a foul odor along with toxic fumes locally known as "Indorama fuel."
Indorama fuel is reportedly a form of refined gasoline.
Several people who inhaled the gas collapsed, with some falling into the river, while some of those who managed to escape showed severe respiratory symptoms and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Vanguard, citing local civil society groups and other sources, reported that the identities of 37 bodies have been confirmed as residents of the Okrika area, while the remaining 6 have not yet been identified.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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