Pipeline Explosion Kills At Least 200, 10 buildings, cars also damaged Options

[batmanchester]

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- At least 200 people were killed outside Lagos, Nigeria, in a massive explosion and fire that ignited as crowds carried away buckets of refined fuel from a tapped fuel pipeline, the Nigerian Red Cross said.

Extreme heat has prevented rescue workers from recovering bodies, and they fear the death toll could rise significantly.

At least 60 others were injured with burns, Nigerian Red Cross Secretary General Abiodun Orebiyi said.

"The explosion happened in a densely populated area, and that is why we're having these high casualty figures," Orebiyi added. (Watch how the pipeline incinerated buildings around the site )

The fire burned for nearly 12 hours after the blast, which happened around 1 a.m. local time (7 p.m. ET Monday) before it was brought under control, Orebiyi said.

By Tuesday afternoon, it was still unclear how many people were killed.

"We can see more bodies that have been burned," he said. "We have yet to determine the number of hundreds that have died in this explosion."

The blast and fire also damaged 10 buildings and vehicles that were parked at a large garage nearby, Orebiyi said.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/12/26...last/index.html