A tragic incident happened in southern Nigeria, when an explosion occurred at an illegal oil refinery, killing at least 18 people including a pregnant woman, according to media reports.18 dead after explosion occurs at illegal oil refinery in southern NigeriaThe explosion happened on early Monday in the Rivers States Emohua district when a homemade refinery ignited a nearby oil reservoir, leaving several with burn injuries.Taking notes from the incident, a spokesperson for the local Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Plufemi Ayodele said, “The fire outbreak started at a very late hour … 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition while 25 injured persons were rescued.”“Most of the victims were youths … a pregnant woman and a young lady getting ready for her marriage ceremony next month were all casualties,” he said.Illegal refining is common in Niger Delta: ReportsNotably, illegal refining is one of the common in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria as impoverished locals tap pipelines to make fuel to sell for a profit. The practice, which can be as basic as boiling crude oil in drums to extract fuel, is often deadly, according to media reports.For several years, Nigeria, which is also an OPEC member, has tried to clamp down on illegal crude refineries, with little success, in part because powerfully connected politicians and security officials are involved, local environmental groups say.Crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and legal battles over oil spills are pushing oil majors operating in Nigeria to sell their onshore and shallow water assets to concentrate on deepwater operations, as per reports.
