37 die from toxic fumes in Nigeria oil siphoning

At least 37 people have died and many others are missing after inhaling toxic fumes during an illegal petroleum siphoning operation at a jetty in Rivers State, Nigeria, according to community sources and an environmental group. The incident occurred around midnight on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Okari Jetty in the Okrika Local Government Area. Witnesses reported that a vessel had anchored at the jetty to load petroleum products for export when more than 200 people, mostly youths from Okrika and surrounding communities, arrived in locally made boats. They allegedly connected a pipe to an illegal tapping point on a pipeline that transports products from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals through the Port Harcourt Refinery corridor to export vessels. As the operation began, intense fumes from the high-pressure petroleum product saturated the air, causing many participants to collapse. Some victims fell into the river and drowned, while others who escaped suffered severe respiratory complications and were taken to hospitals for treatment. The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEACNigeria, confirmed the incident. Its Executive Director, Dr.