A Nigerian environmental NGO says that at least 37 people died in an attempt to tap oil from a loading vessel in the south of the country illegally. 

Most of them died as a result of inhaling hazardous fumes, the Youth and Advocacy Centre said. 

Nigerian authorities were yet to issue a death toll but had acknowledged a fatal incident in which people were killed, apparently while trying to steal crude oil. 

What do we know about the case? 

The incident took place overnight on Thursday in Okrika in Rivers State in the oil-rich Niger Delta in the south of the country. 

The environmental group said it happened at a jetty as a vessel was loading oil from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical through the Port Harcourt Refinery. The people who died were "suspected oil thieves" trying to siphon the commodity off into boats at an "illegal tapping point."  

The Youth and Advocacy Centre NGO said that other people were still missing, potentially lost in the water, quoting a network of volunteers. 

Police acknowledged an incident but said they continued to investigate the details. 

"The Rivers State Police Command can confirm the deaths. The victims were allegedly attempting to steal crude oil," said spokesperson Blessing Agbabe.

Oil theft is fairly common in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, with oil mining areas hotspots for poverty and environmental degradation.

The Nigerian government estimates that oil theft causes losses worth several billion dollars annually and has been trying to clamp down on the practice. 

The tapping process can also cause leaks and environmental damage. 

If confirmed this would be the worst fatal accident on record connected to attempted oil theft since at least October 2023.

However the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps said that the casualty figures circulating remained unverified, saying it was working with other security agencies to clarify the details. 

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Edited by: Zac Crellin