Fire extinguished after Nigeria oil vessel explosion

Nigerian officials say a fire that broke out following an explosion on an oil vessel on Thursday has been extinguished.

However it is still not clear how much oil has spilt into the sea from the Trinity Spirit or whether the 10 crew members are safe.

The fact that the vessel has a storage capacity of two million barrels raised fears of a major ecological disaster.

Environment Minister Sharon Ikeazor has described the incident in the Niger Delta as worrying and said oil companies were intervening to help protect the vulnerable ecosystem.

The company that owns the vessel has been in financial trouble and is currently in receivership.

By BBC