TWELVE persons were yesterday killed in a pipeline explosion along the Tebidaba-Azuzuama trunk line ‎belonging to Nigerian Agip Oil Company in Azuzuama Community of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The explosion, according to community sources, occurred during a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) for the official clamping of a spillage site along the route of the Agip pipeline.

The Guardian gathered that the victims of the explosion were burnt beyond recognition and could not be identified.

Though no one could confirm the identity of the victim, it was gathered that the JIV team was made up officials from the Ministry of Environment, the Department of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), representatives of Azuzuama community and the NOSDRA.

Two soldiers attached to the team for security may have also been killed in the explosion.

A former Vice Chairman of the Azuzuama Community Development Committee, Dennis Dumde, confirmed the recovery of 12 bodies from the explosion site between Thursday night and yesterday morning.

According to him, “though the source of the fire was not known, the identity of the victims cannot be ascertained. They were burnt beyond recognition.”

Also confirming the incident, the State Coordinator of Environmental Rights Action (ERA), Comrade Morris Alagoa said a team of Ministry of Environment officials has been deployed to the community by the Commissioner, Inuro Wills.

The Guardian gathered that the incident, which occurred about 4pm on Thursday, threw the community into mourning.

A source, who identified himself as Steve, said the explosion occurred while a Swamp Boogie hired to clear the spillage site hit another part of the
pipeline and ignited a fire that caught members of the JIV team unaware.

“We heard a loud bang and saw a thick smoke coming from Brown Bush, the location of the ruptured pipe. Many of the villagers rushed to the site but the fire ball was huge and they could not rescue anyone. About 8pm, a rescue team was raised by
the villagers and searched the scene. Four bodies were recovered ‎on Thursday night.”

According to him, another search was conducted yesterday morning and six more burnt bodies were recovered. “Two persons were rescued and they are at Okolobiri Teaching Hospital. We cannot identify them. It is sad,” he added.

The spokesman of the State Police Command, Astimin Butswat, confirmed the development and said he was expecting full brief from the Marine
Component of the Police Command.

“The Command can confirm that 10 persons died in the explosion,” he said.

The authorities of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NOAC), in a statement issued by an Eni spokesman Mr. Filipo Cotalin, the parent company of
NAOC, said the cause of the explosion was being investigated.

“Eni informs that an explosion occurred on Thursday, July 9, 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.”