At least 37 people died after inhaling fumes during an apparent attempt to siphon petroleum from a pipeline at about midnight Thursday at Okari Jetty in Okrika, Rivers State, southern Nigeria, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre said. Police said the victims died while attempting to steal crude oil, while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said casualty figures remained unverified and the substance involved required technical confirmation. YEAC said a vessel was loading at the jetty as suspected thieves transferred a petroleum product under high pressure into boats; it reported that other people were missing and bodies had been seen floating in the river. Reuters could not independently confirm the incident or death toll. The case highlights the persistent dangers of crude-oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta, which have contributed to deaths, pollution and losses for Nigeria’s oil industry. An earlier account had put the toll at 43.