ABUJA, Feb. 8 — Three bodies have so far been recovered after an oil vessel was recently engulfed by fire at an oil field in the southern part of Nigeria last week, local authorities and the oil production firm said on Monday.
The Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Trinity Spirit, the vessel, operated by the Shebah Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL), suddenly went up in flames at a port in the southwestern state of Ondo on Wednesday, the firm said in a statement sent to Xinhua.
The fire was eventually contained on the evening of the following day, the Nigerian government said in a separate statement.
Two dead bodies were recovered on the deck of the vessel on Sunday while another was earlier recovered in the vicinity of FPSO, according to the statement by SEPCOL.
The vessel had a potential total number of six crew members at the time of the incident, the statement said, noting three were found alive after the incident last week.
The firm said it worked with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organizations to conduct a joint investigation visit over the weekend, including making incident reports to the police to assist the ongoing investigation, and due process to establish the identities of the dead bodies.
“Furthermore, our efforts are geared towards cleaning up the area to minimize any damage to the environment and seeking to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion,” it added.
Minister of State for the Environment Sharon Ikeazor said in a statement on Monday that the National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency had launched an overflight to monitor the situation of a crude oil spill in the affected area.
“While the cause of the fire incident is yet to be fully determined, the environment around the FPSO is only slightly covered by the sheen and emulsified oil,” Ikeazor said. – XINHUA
