At least 43 people have died from toxic fumes while attempting to steal oil at a jetty in Nigeria, West Africa.

The incident occurred late at night at the Okari Jetty in the Okrika area of Rivers State, authorities confirmed on Thursday (September 3).

According to local residents, more than 200 youths arrived at the site in wooden boats and attempted to siphon petroleum products from a pipeline.

During the process, many lost consciousness due to thick toxic fumes, and several fell into the river and drowned.

News agency Anadolu reported that the incident took place at midnight at the Okari Jetty in the Okrika area.

Petroleum products were reportedly being loaded onto a ship for export at the location.

Local residents told Anadolu that over 200 youths from Okrika and surrounding areas arrived in wooden boats.

They then attempted to steal petroleum products from an illegal tapping point connected to a pipeline linked to the facility.

However, while loading the petroleum products onto the boats, they fell ill due to dense toxic fumes, causing several individuals to lose consciousness.

Some of them reportedly fell into the river and drowned. Police spokesperson Blessing Agabe stated, "An investigation is underway to determine the severity and true picture of the incident."

The Niger Delta-based environmental and human rights organization, Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), confirmed multiple fatalities.

Executive Director Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface stated that the victims allegedly connected pipes to a tapping point to siphon petroleum products from a pipeline.

Through that pipeline, petroleum products are transported from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals area through the Port Harcourt refinery corridor to vessels being loaded for export.

Fyneface stated that as petroleum products were being pumped through the pipeline under high pressure, the youths were simultaneously transferring them into waiting boats, exposing them to toxic fumes. He noted that several bodies were seen floating in the river, and others remain missing.

This tragic incident has once again highlighted the hazards of illegal oil collection and petroleum theft in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

Security forces have been conducting operations against crude oil theft, illegal oil refining, and the unauthorized transport of petroleum products in Rivers State and surrounding areas.

The Nigerian military reported that operations conducted in April across Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom states led to the destruction of 10 illegal oil refineries and the arrest of nine suspects linked to oil theft.

More than 130,000 liters of stolen crude oil and over 26,000 liters of automotive gas oil were recovered during these operations, according to the military.

Earlier, in an operation on August 28, the Nigerian Navy announced the destruction of two illegal oil refineries in Rivers State and the recovery of 34,000 liters of suspected illegally refined automotive gas oil.