Arepo fire: Bodies found floating in Swamp

The National Emergency Management Agency has said evacuation of the bodies at the Arepo pipeline explosion scene has begun.
Bodies were found floating in the swamp around the explosion site.NNPC pipeline was vandalized on Saturday January 12th at Arepo in Ogun state, barely a month after it was fixed after it was vandalized in August 2012. The vandalism led to an explosion that killed at least 30 people.

Bodies of four of those people were found yesterday Sunday January 13th floating in the swamp around the explosion site in Arepo. The bodies had floated up from the water, while several bodies are suspected to be inside the swamp.
The explosion occurred according to an eye witness, Sunday Reuben (pictured above, who is now late) after two of the vandals reportedly engaged in a heated argument which led to one of them shooting into the air with his rifle. Bullets shot from the rifle hit the ruptured pipeline and led to the explosion. Several died, many arrested.

Spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye said  “Our assessment show that more bodies will still be inside the swamp. This is why we cannot give a specific number of casualties at the moment.

“Two of the bodies found seemed to have floated up from the water. It is likely that more bodies may float later. But we will start the recovery of the bodies found as soon as Red Cross officials and medical team of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation arrive.”

He said its important for the state  to contribute to tackling the menace of vandalism instead of shifting blames.”

“The state is expected to mobilise traditional institutions and residents, who know the terrain to assist in intelligence gathering,” he said.