LAGOS: About 100 people were burnt to death on Thursday when an oil pipeline exploded in a northern suburb of Nigeria's biggest city Lagos, the Red Cross said.

"About 100 people were confirmed dead in the explosion. We have also evacuated about 20 others to the Ikeja general hospital," Red Cross official Sule Mekudi told AFP from the scene.

"Most of the evacuees were seriously burnt," he added.

Lagos police spokesman Frank Mba confirmed the disaster but could add little else. "We are still appraising the situation. At this stage, I cannot confirm the cause of the explosion and the casualty figure," he said.

Rescuers were beginning to leave the scene as darkness set in, Abdulsalam Mohammed, an official from Nigeria's national emergency agency, told AFP.

"We are just leaving the scene now. The fire has drastically reduced. We shall continue work on Friday," he said. - AFP/de