Two more crew members found dead, four still missing after oil vessel explosion in Delta

Two more bodies have been recovered at the scene of oil vessel explosion in Delta State.

The vessel, a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel with a storage capacity of two million barrels of oil and 10 persons on board exploded in the state last Thursday.

Three crew members of the ill-fated oil vessel were found alive by rescue workers on Saturday.

The Chief Executive Officer of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited (SEPCOL), Mr. Ikemefuna Okafor, who confirmed the development in a statement on Monday, said the bodies were found on the deck of the vessel on Sunday.

The statement read: “Working with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations, a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) took place on Saturday, 5th February 2022.”

“We can confirm today that two further dead bodies were discovered on the deck of the vessel in the afternoon of the same Sunday.

“We have made incident reports to the police and relevant authorities to assist the ongoing investigation, and due process to establish the identities of the dead bodies is underway.

“Thus far, the potential total number of the crew members accounted for is six, including the three persons who were found alive last week.

READ ALSO: Three crew members of exploded vessel found alive in Delta

“Our priority remains focused towards establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the four crew members still missing.

“Our Crisis Management Team will continue to monitor developments in the investigations and update all stakeholders with new information accordingly. We appeal to members of the public to keep away from the area and contact the company with any information that may assist our investigations.”

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