At Least 3 Dead in Offshore Platform Incident

By The Maritime Executive 10-24-2014 09:50:00

Azeri state energy company SOCAR has confirmed that the dead bodies of 3 of the 4 employees, missing after an accident at the faulty platform No. 441 of the Narimanov oil and gas production department, have been found and brought ashore by divers of SOCAR and Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The search for another missing worker is underway.

The structures collapsed during repair works and a wagon-house fell into the sea, damaging and causing fire on a 700 mm pipeline on October 23. The accident happened at about 12:00 (local time) and was extinguished some 45 minutes later.

About 41 people were working at the site when the structures collapsed. As a result of operative measures taken by a rescue team immediately after the accident, 37 people were evacuated from the incident site to the beach on Orion-15 and PSK-52 vessels. The injured workers were treated by the doctors.

A special commission was set up to investigate the accident.