An eruption of crude oil and gas in Niger was classified by the Ministry of Petroleum as an environmental incident of exceptional gravity, characterized by the projection of large quantities of crude oil and gas to more than ten meters high, according to Le Monde.

According to the ministry, the eruption, the first of its kind in the country, occurred on September 25 in Niger’s eastern desert, caused no deaths, but two employees were hospitalized and treated for injuries. The incident took place at the Goumeri W8 well, in the Agadem oil block, about 1,700 km from Niamey, operated by CNPC Niger Petroleum S.A., a local subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).