Three crew survive, one dead in oil vessel explosion in Delta

Search and rescue operations on the oil vessel that exploded in Delta State had resulted in the discovery of three members of crew in the oil vessel still alive.

The management of Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited (SEPCOL) in Receivership in a statement on Sunday acknowledged that the three crew members are alive after the fire outbreak in the FPSO Trinity Spirit at the Ukpokiti Terminal in the early hours of Wednesday. The oil vessel had 10 people on board when it exploded following the fire outbreak.

The Chief Executive Officer of SEPCOL, Ikemefuna Okafor, indicated in the statement, “We can confirm that three crew members have been found alive in the community and our priority is to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical attention they need.”

Okafor disclosed that one dead body was discovered in the vicinity of the FPSO, noting that the identity is not yet ascertained.

The statement further read inter alia: “As earlier confirmed, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, 3rd Feb. 2022, thus enabling closer inspection of the vessel.

“A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations took place on Saturday, 5th February 2022.

“The focus of our joint efforts is to prioritise investigations towards establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the 7 crew members still missing, clean up and limit damage to the environment, and establish the cause of the explosion.

“We appreciate the assistance provided by the Clean Nigeria Associates, the Chevron team, NOSDRA, NUPRC, SPDC, NIMASA and people in the community, particularly the fishermen, who have been of immense assistance since the incident occurred.”

The company, however, told members of the public to continue to avoid activities near the scene of the inferno, noting that the company’s Crisis Management Team is monitoring the developments in the investigations and updates all stakeholders with new information accordingly.