More than 200 people are feared to have burnt to death in a pipeline explosion at Isanki Island in the Ilado area of Lagos recently, according to official reports.

The pipeline belongs to the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Eyewitnesses said the explosion started at dawn as people scrambled for the fuel gushing out from vandalised pipes, a common sight in Lagos. The police discovered over 70 jerrycans, tools, and outboard engines at the scene.

Stealing finished oil products from oil pipelines is a frequent sight in Nigeria's poverty-stricken areas. Officials say over 2,000 people have died in Nigeria in recent years while pilfering fuel from tapped pipelines.