A petrol pipeline explosion in early hours of Friday had killed at least 19 people in two villages of Osisioma local government area of Abia state in southern Nigeria, a para military body said.

Benito Eze, state commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, confirmed the number of casualties to media in Umuahia, the capital of the state.

Eze said that 16 people, including one woman, died in the explosion that occurred at Umuaduru village, where some youths in the area were scooping petroleum products from vandalized pipelines.

"I learnt that they were scooping petroleum products when a spark occurred, leading to an explosion that left 16 natives dead," he said.

According to the state civil defence chief, three others died in the fire that occurred in a private residence at Umuimo village in the area.

The command had deployed its personnel to cordon off the scene to forestall more casualties, Eze said.

The fire was later put out by men of the state fire service.

The past few years had witnessed a string of pipeline explosions, and some incidents happened as locals tried to siphon fuel from the pipelines.

According to reports, at least 150 people were killed in a pipeline explosion on May 12, 2006 in a village to the east of Lagos, the country's economic hub, while locals were drilling into it. 

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