Metro

Three crew members survive Delta vessel explosion

Published

2 years ago

February 7, 2022

Three crew members from the oil vessel that exploded in Delta State have been found alive.

This was confirmed in a statement released by the management of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) on Sunday, February 6, days after the floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel named ‘Trinity Spirit’ exploded. 10 persons were said to be aboard the ship when it exploded.

Providing an update on the incident on Sunday, the company’s Chief Executive Officer Ikemefuna Okafor said while three crew members were found alive, they discovered one yet-to-identified dead body in the vicinity of the FPSO.

The statement read;

“We can confirm that three (3) crew members have been found alive in the community and our priority is to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical attention they need. Furthermore, in the early hours of Sunday 6th February 2022, one dead body was discovered in the vicinity of the FPSO. The identity of the dead body is yet to be ascertained

“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 urged members of the public to continue to keep away from the area while its Crisis Management Team monitors developments in the investigations and updates all stakeholders with new information accordingly.