By Adewale Sanyaolu
Seven crew members have been declared missing in last Wednesday‘s Floating Production Storage and Offloading(FPSO) vessel explosion belonging to Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) in RECIEVERSHIP.
Recall that an explosion and subsequent fire had last Wednesday engulfed the FPSO Trinity Spirit at the Ukpokiti Terminal in Delta State
SEPCOL in an update statement made available to Daily Sun confirmed that three crew members have been found alive in the community, adding that its priority is to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical attention they need.
‘‘Furthermore, in the early hours of yesterday (Sunday February 6, 2022), one body was discovered in the vicinity of the FPSO. The identity of the victim is yet to be ascertained.
“As earlier confirmed, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, February 2, 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.
“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.’’