Kenyan pipeline blast sign of wider issue

LONDON, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- A pipeline explosion in Kenya that killed at least 100 people highlights the growing problems facing energy programs in developing countries, analysis finds.

A pipeline near a Kenya Pipeline Co. depot in Nairobi caught fire Monday, killing at least 100 people and injuring dozens more.

A review of oil and natural gas operations by The Guardian newspaper in London finds the explosion may be indicative of the larger problem tied to energy work in developing countries.

"Oil and gas companies often fail to bury or protect their pipelines in developing nations as they face little legal backlash," the newspaper notes.

The Guardian states that most accidents occur on pipelines that run through poor areas where there have few options for fuel.

Witnesses said the Kenyan pipeline had burst earlier and some of the victims may have been trying to siphon fuel when the fire started.

Royal Dutch Shell and China Petroleum and Chemical have claimed massive oil losses because of sabotage in parts of the region.

Shell last month declared force majeure in Nigeria, meaning it is released from contractual obligations because of circumstances out of its control, through October. In a statement, the company said that after a series of spills it discovered hacksaw marks on a pipeline carrying crude oil through the Niger Delta.