An oil rig called Majestic in Ovhor crashed on Tuesday in Delta State, reportedly killing one person and leaving three others missing.
According to information obtained by The PUNCH, the swamp drilling rig, which was being used by the Nigerian oil company Depthwize, collapsed early on Tuesday.
When the tragedy happened, the rig had been hired by the joint venture between Seplat and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
When the rig fell, it was on its way to the Delta State drilling site at Ovhor.
Roger Brown, the CEO of Seplat, verified the occurrence in an email.
“Ninety-two of the 96-member crew are accounted for and safe. However, tragically, one fatality occurred during the incident, while three other rig personnel are still missing,” the email read in part.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the crew member who sadly lost his life and the three crew members who are still missing at the time of this report,” Brown added.
Seplat said its emergency response and rescue response working alongside the rig owner and the authorities had been activated.
“Our utmost priority will continue to be the safety and well-being of all the affected personnel and their families. We will provide further details as our understanding of the incident develops. A detailed investigation into the cause of the accident will follow.”
Checks revealed that a fire had broken out on the oil rig as far back as 2018.
