By Ovie Okpare
Palpable tension has gripped residents and oil workers in the Escravos area of Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State after a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel exploded on Wednesday.
It was gathered that vessel known as Trinity Spirit FPSO was said to have gone up inflame around the Escravos sea where major exploration activities are taking place in the Niger Delta region.
Sources told NIGER DELTA TODAY Online that at least three oil workers who were on board during the explosion have been reportedly feared dead.
Our sources added that twelve other persons were said to have been missing as at on Thursday morning as at the time of filing this report.
A security source privy to the development told NIGER DELTA TODAY Online that three corpses were alleged to have been recovered.
Three persons, according to the sources, have been rescued alive.
It was not clear the number of workers on board when the explosion occurred but sources claimed no fewer than fifteen persons were on board when the accident happened.
The incident occurred near Meren field, a North Field Oil Facility, owned by one of the multinational oil and gas companies operating along the Nigerian coastline.
An oil worker (name withheld), while confirming the incident, alleged that the vessel exploded as a result of “failing safety critical equipment”.
“It was Trinity Spirit FPSO that exploded in Escravos Field on Wednesday morning. Twelve men missing, three injured were saved. Three corpses have been recovered. It was equipment failure that resulted in the explosion”, our source added.
Meanwhile residents of Delta State living around the coastal area are now living in fear over crude oil spill into the creeks by the exploded vessel.
Efforts to get official responses on the incident have proved abortive as calls to relevant authorities including the police were not picked at the time of filing this report.
The explosion, has allegedly caused serious fear among workers manning oil facilities close – by as they were still watching the raging fire helplessly as at 9:50 am when this report was filed.
