A petroleum products pipeline explosion and fire left at least 100 people dead Thursday in a residential area of southwest Lagos, Nigeria's business capital.

The fire began when an excavator used by a construction firm broke the pipeline and an explosion ensued, said Moyo Anibaba, the head of the Lagos state-owned ambulance services, confirming the deaths.

He said at least 40 other persons were seriously injured in the inferno.

"Most of the victims died as a result of the stampede as they were attempting to escape from the area," he said.

"At least 35 houses in the neighborhood and several vehicles were burnt to ashes," Anibaba said.

Local reports said that the driver of the excavator was working on a road expansion project of the Lagos State government and did not know he had struck a pipeline until fuel started gushing out and a explosion followed.

School pupils were hurriedly evacuated from nearby schools to check further disaster as residents assisted in curtailing the spread of the fire, the reports said.

An official of the National Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Mohammed said the fire could rage until Friday as the fuel was still gushing out.

Copyright 2008 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH