By George Esiri
IJEGUN, Nigeria (Reuters) - At least 100 people were killedand scores injured when fuel from a pipeline ruptured by anearthmover caught fire and exploded in a Nigerian village nearthe biggest city of Lagos, the Red Cross said on Thursday.
The fireball engulfed homes and schools at Ijegun villagein the Lagos district of Alimosho, and many of the dead, whoincluded schoolchildren, were killed in the ensuing stampede aspeople fled the flames.
"About 100 people have so far been confirmed dead from thefire. We have so far rescued more than 20 people with injuriesand taken them to hospital for treatment," a Red Cross officialat the scene told Reuters.
School bags and sandals littered the compound of one schoolwhose pupils had fled the explosion and blaze.
More than 20 burned out vehicles caught in the fire werevisible in the street, as firefighters and volunteers tried todouse the flames with sand and water.
"I was returning home when I suddenly saw sparks of firefrom where the grader (earthmover) was working. It was likehell was raining down on us, then everybody started running indifferent directions," local resident John Egbowon said.
Fuel pipelines criss-cross Africa's top oil-producingnation and explosions and fires with high fatalities arefrequent.
Previous pipeline blasts in Nigeria have been caused byvandals who drilled holes in the feeder lines, used todistribute mainly imported fuel, in order to steal petrol forsale on the black market.
Nigeria is the world's number eight oil exporter, but mostNigerians live on less than $2 (1 pound) per day and many areprepared to take huge risks to obtain free fuel.
At least 45 people were burnt to death last December inanother village on the outskirts of Lagos when fuel they werestealing from a buried pipeline went up in flames.
One year earlier, 250 people were killed in anotherpipeline fire in a different area of Lagos.
In such situations, a small number of organised thievesusually drilled a hole in a pipeline, but as word spreadsothers come and try to steal the fuel and a fire is oftenignited.
(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say onthe top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/) (Additionalreporting by Tume Ahemba; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)
