A fire that broke out at a pipeline of oil group Eni in Nigeria on Thursday was caused by oil thieves, the Italian company said on Saturday, as the death toll of the accident rose to 13 people.

Last week Eni said an explosion at the pipeline killed at least 12 people, part of a maintenance crew carrying out repairs on the Tebidaba-Clough Creek pipeline in the Niger delta's Bayelsa state.

"It appears likely the fire was triggered by people who previously worked on this pipeline to illegally obtain crude oil," Eni said in a statement following a first investigation into the matter. "Local witnesses have reported seeing saboteurs upon arrival of the intervention team to repair the pipeline".

One of the three people injured died at the hospital, adding to the death toll, Eni added.

Eni said it would continue to work with local authorities to reconstruct the dynamics of the accident and the related responsibilities.

Source: www.reuters.com

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