Egypt: court sentences five to death for oil pipeline explosion 

A court in Egypt has sentenced five people to death for damaging an oil pipeline last November and causing an explosion and fire in which nine people were killed and eleven were wounded.

The Damanhour Criminal Court in Beheira Governorate passed the sentences yesterday. Five others were sentenced to life imprisonment.

According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, the court also ordered the defendants to pay the company that owns the pipeline more than 2 million Egyptian pounds ($157,000) in compensation. They have the right to appeal against the sentences in the Court of Cassation.

The defence claimed that the defendants were trying to steal gas from the pipeline at the time.

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