An explosion at a liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline in Lagos, Nigeria, has killed at least 15 people.
The pipeline in the Amuwo Odofin area exploded on Sunday, killing several people and starting fires that spread over three districts.
Reuters reports 15 dead and Al Jazeera 17. According to Associated Press, the death toll will rise as rescuers recover those trapped in burning buildings.
A spokesperson for the country’s National Emergency Management Agency said the resulting fire has destroyed at least 100 buildings.
The facility is operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). It said the fire started when a truck crashed into gas containers stacked in a gas processing plant nearby.
A company spokesperson said damage from the explosion led to “the collapse of nearby houses and damage to a pipeline” elsewhere in the Lagos facility. The facility immediately stopped pumping on the Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipeline.
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By GlobalDataGroup managing director Mele Kyari tweeted that the fire was out at 11:30pm. Teams attempted to repair the pipeline, but fires reignited at 5:10am. Emergency services worked with the oil company to bring them under control.
In a statement, NNPC said: “While assuring members of the public and residents of the affected communities to remain calm, [we] assure that the temporary shutdown of the petroleum products pipeline would not affect the normal supply of products to the Lagos and its environs.”