The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), yesterday confirmed that 19 crew members on a drilling rig escaped death on Thursday following a fire outbreak at the facility at Ajakpa Field located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 90, offshore Delta State. Head of Public Relations at NIMASA, Osagie Edward, who made the confirmation in a statement, added that the agency had launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.

THISDAY gathered that the Forward Operating Base of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Delta, Warri, rescued 19 people following the inferno that rocked the Floating Storage and Offloading unit (FSO) at Escravos in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Narrating the incident, Osagie explained that on Thursday, July 18, 2024, NIMASA received signals from the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (RMRCC) in Lagos that Britania-U’s drilling platform was under distress at Ajakpa Field, located at 10.77 nautical miles South of Forcados Terminal in Delta State. He said all 19 crew members onboard the ill-fated drilling platform were successfully rescued from the vessel.

According to him: “The agency collaborated with other responding agencies and first responders to ensure the safe rescue and evacuation of the crew and other exposed persons during the incident.

“The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola has set up an incident command centre in the office of the agency’s Executive Director, Operations, to prepare an effective situation-based response plan against oil spillage or other incidents affecting the marine environment and safety of navigation.

“Furthermore, in line with its mandate under the Merchant Shipping Act 2007, the Agency’s Marine Accident Investigation Unit has launched an investigation into the direct and remote causes of this unfortunate mishap. “The outcome of the investigation will be published, and recommendations arising from it will be implemented,” he stated. (THISDAY)

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