From Paul Osuyi, Asaba and Steve Agbota
Four days after the explosion of the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, Trinity Spirit, one of the crew members was on Sunday found dead.
Three other crew members were, however, found alive, with seven others still missing.
Chief executive officer of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL), ownwes of the FPSO, Ikemefuna Okafor, confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
“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.
“Furthermore, in the early hours of Sunday, February 6, one dead body was discovered in the vicinity of the FPSO. The identity of the body is yet to be ascertained.
“As earlier confirmed, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, February 3, thus enabling closer inspection of the vessel.
“A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations took place on Saturday, February 5.
“The focus of our joint efforts is to prioritise investigations towards establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the seven crew members still missing, clean up and limit damage to the environment, and establish the cause of the explosion,” Okafor said.
The statement advised members of the public to stay away from the scene of the incident to allow the crisis management team thoroughly monitor developments.
The statement read further: “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.
“Members of the public should continue to keep away from the area while our crisis management team monitors developments in the investigations and update all stakeholders with new information accordingly.”
The FPSO had exploded at the Ukpokiti Terminal, on the boundary between Delta and Ondo states, last Thursday. The explosion resulted in fire at the terminal.