Three reported dead in Nigeria pipeline explosion, Over 200 building gutted by fire

A fire on a pipeline owned by Nigeria's state oil company in the commercial capital Lagos killed three people on January 19. A witness said that the blaze broke out in the Abule-Egba district of the southwestern megacity and it started shortly before 8 PM (1900 GMT). The fire has burned nearby houses and vehicles. Many fires on pipelines in Nigeria, Africa's biggest crude oil producer, are caused by theft and sabotage. The methods used to steal oil often result in accidents that cause fires.