Three reported dead in Nigeria pipeline explosion

in the commercial capital Lagos, a fire on a pipeline owned by Nigeria's state oil company killed three people on Sunday, a Reuters witness said. The blaze broke out in the Abule-Egba district of the southwestern megacity.

Residents said it started shortly before 8 p.m. A Reuters television camera operator counted three dead bodies at the scene. The fire burned nearby houses and vehicles. in Nigeria, many fires on pipelines are caused by theft and sabotage. The methods used to steal oil often result in accidents that cause fires.