Petroleum pipeline explosions in sub-Saharan Africa: A comprehensive systematic review of the academic and lay literature

Background Experience indicates that the frequency and impact of petroleum pipeline fires and explosions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is presently under-represented in the academic literature. Materials and methods Using adapted PRISMA guidelines, the authors reviewed both PubMed and the LexisNexis Academic news database, which includes periodicals, news transcripts and online reports. Country-by-country searches were conducted for petroleum pipeline fires and explosions in SSA occurring between June 1, 2004 and May 31, 2014. Results Initial search yielded 5730 articles from LexisNexis Academic and 3 from PubMed. On further review, a total of 28 separate petroleum pipeline-related incidents causing injuries and/or deaths were identified, 16 of which had not been previously reported in the academic literature. The events occurred in Nigeria (23), Kenya (2), Ghana (1), Sierra Leone (1), and Tanzania (1). A total of 1756 deaths were reported across all events. The most common cause of the original leak was intentional, either from theft or vandalism (13/20, 65%), or by militia activity (2/20, 10%). Conclusions Fire disasters related to scavenging fuel from petroleum pipelines are common in SSA and cause significant morbidity and mortality. These events require better reporting tools and intervention strategies overall. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that non-academic sources can effectively supplement gaps in the academic literature.