Three out of the ten crew members on board the oil vessel that exploded and sunk around Escravos, Warri, last week have been found alive, the owner of the vessel, Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited (SEPCOL) has said.
Also, a body has been “discovered in the vicinity of the FPSO”, according to the CEO of SEPCOL, Ikemefuna Okafor.
In a statement he issued on Sunday, Okafor said the crew members would receive appropriate medical attention.
The Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel named ‘Trinity Spirit’ exploded last Wednesday. The company had said ten crew members were onboard the facility when the incident occurred.
Providing an update on the incident on Sunday, Okafor said the team also discovered one yet-to-identified dead body in the vicinity of the FPSO.
“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 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 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 seven 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,” he said.
The oil vessel was holding about 50-60 thousand barrels of crude oil at the time of the incident, according to the Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor.
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