Three oil workers die in Bayelsa pipeline explosion
Wed Mar 30, 2016 01:26:pm Gist
3.1K By sosa hills
Three persons have been burnt beyond recognition, while 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 when some technical staff of an Oil contracting 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 Adama in Twon Brass of Brass Local Government Area of the state, while most of the victims with various degrees of burns, according to Community sources, were flown to various places 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 shock and tragic.
According to Alagoa, "The news of another tragic incident in the oil industry which claimed three lives and several persons sustained various degrees of injuries, came to the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) with great shock.
For ERA, it was reliably gathered that there was another pipeline fire/explosion along Agip pipeline within Olugboboro environment on Sunday, 27th March, 2016 while repairs or clamping was on going."
"While industrial and other accidents are part of the realities of our existence; some are preventable. And, this is where we in ERA will not stop calling on the authorities and Regulators of the oil industry to make safety and best practices the mantra of the industry; not just profit.
Noting that the explosion came less than a year after a similar incident in Azuzuama claimed twelve lives, Mr. Algoa said, "As usual, ERA will visit the site of the incident and obtain first-hand testimonies before coming out with our formal report and related advocacy statements."
The explosion, which occurred on Easter Sunday when some technical staff of an Oil contracting 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 Adama in Twon Brass of Brass Local Government Area of the state, while most of the victims with various degrees of burns, according to Community sources, were flown to various places 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 shock and tragic.
According to Alagoa, "The news of another tragic incident in the oil industry which claimed three lives and several persons sustained various degrees of injuries, came to the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) with great shock.
For ERA, it was reliably gathered that there was another pipeline fire/explosion along Agip pipeline within Olugboboro environment on Sunday, 27th March, 2016 while repairs or clamping was on going."
"While industrial and other accidents are part of the realities of our existence; some are preventable. And, this is where we in ERA will not stop calling on the authorities and Regulators of the oil industry to make safety and best practices the mantra of the industry; not just profit.
Noting that the explosion came less than a year after a similar incident in Azuzuama claimed twelve lives, Mr. Algoa said, "As usual, ERA will visit the site of the incident and obtain first-hand testimonies before coming out with our formal report and related advocacy statements."
Related News
Leave a comment...