An explosion at an Eni pipeline in Nigeria killed at least 12 people and injured three others, the Italian oil major said in a statement on Friday.

The men were part of a maintenance crew, including security and environment officials, carrying out repairs on Thursday afternoon on the Tebidaba-Clough Creek line near the town of Azuzuama in the Niger delta’s Bayelsa state.

On Friday morning, environmental activist Morris Alagoa, whose colleague had travelled to the scene, said that authorities were still combing the area for bodies.

“Four bodies were seen floating on the river today as the search continues,” Alagoa said.

Iniro Wills, state commissioner for the ministry of the environment, said that the cause was still being investigated and one of his staff was still missing.

“Three victims rescued are now at the hospital. Two were severely burnt,” Wills said.

Eni has a joint venture with Nigeria’s state oil company, the NNPC.

A statement by Mr Filipo Cotalini, a spokesman for Eni, the parent company of NAOC, on Friday in Yenagos, also confirmed that the cause of the explosion was being investigated by a team comprising officials of NAOC, representatives of the host community and the Bayelsa Ministry of Environment.

“The cause of an explosion which occurred yesterday, 9 July, late in the afternoon, at the site of the repair works of the Tebidaba-Clough Creek line, an oil pipeline in Nigeria’s onshore Niger Delta, previously damaged by acts of sabotage, was under investigation.

“The explosion resulted in the death of 12 members of the maintenance team of a local company of services, with three others also injured.

“The cause of the incident is still under investigation by both Eni and the local authorities.

“The company expresses its deepest condolences to the families of those involved in this tragic accident,” the statement said. (NAN)