Three maintenance workers lost their lives on Sunday when a crude oil pipeline exploded while they were working on site at Olugboro in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State.

The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, on Tuesday confirmed the pipeline explosion at the oil field operated by Nigeria Agip Oil Company.

It was gathered from members of the community that at least 12 people were also injured in the incident, including maintainable workers and staff of the Bayelsa environment ministry.

The Director-General of NOSDRA, Peter Idabor, who confirmed the incident in a telephone chat on Tuesday, said that a staff of the agency escaped death in the explosion.

He said that the agency’s staff, whom he did not name, had warned the oil workers of a breach of safety procedure and left the scene shortly before the explosion occurred.

“I received a report of the incident from our staff in Yenagoa office and luckily one of our officers on the team survived. Because of the safety conditions of the place after inspection my staff left the place and he was not affected.

“I am going to report the matter officially to the Minister of Environment today,” Idabor said.

Fourteen people were killed in July, last year, following a similar explosion at Agip’s oil field in Azuzuama, Southern.

A regulatory official of Bayelsa Ministry of Environment and NOSDRA and 12 maintenance crew members were amongst the victims.