More than 100 people were killed overnight in an explosion at an illegal oil refinery depot in Nigeria’s state of Rivers, a local government official and the Center for Youth and Environmental Defense (YEAC) said on Saturday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

“The fire occurred at an illegal refueling site and affected more than 100 people who were burned beyond recognition,” said Goodluck Opiah, state commissioner for oil resources.

Unemployment and poverty in the Niger Delta have made illegal oil refining an attractive business, but with deadly consequences. Crude oil is extracted from the maze of pipelines owned by the big oil companies and refined in makeshift tanks.

The dangerous process has led to many fatal accidents and polluted an area already devastated by oil spills on farmland, streams and ponds.

(by Tife Owolabi)