The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that seven persons have died in the explosion at an ‘Oil Mining Lease 40’ operated by its subsidiary company, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
The statement by the Group General Manager in charge of Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Dr. Kennie Obateru, on Wednesday in Abuja said that the incident happened on Tuesday evening at Gbetiokun in Delta State where the facility is located.
“The incident, which occurred on Tuesday during the installation of a ladder on a platform (Benin River Valve Station) for access during discharging of Gbetiokun production, unfortunately caused 7 fatalities,” the statement said.
Dr. Obateru said that the NNPC had started an investigation into the cause of the incident and that the oil industry regulator, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had been informed about it.
According to him, the bodies of the casualties have been deposited in a morgue in Sapele, while the families of the personnel involved are being contacted by their employers: Weld Affairs and Flow Impact, which are consultants to the NPDC.
He also said that all the personnel on board the platform had been accounted for fully.
“The NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, also commiserated with the families of the bereaved and prayed that God grants them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss of their loved ones,” the statement said.
GIK/APA