By Ovie Okpare
One of the crew members of the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) of Trinity Spirit which exploded at the Ukpokiti Terminal in Niger Delta has been found dead four days after the incident.
Three of the crew members were, however, found alive on Sunday morning and now receiving medical attention at undisclosed hospital.
NIGER DELTA TODAY had reported that FPSO Trinity Spirit exploded and was subsequent engulfed by fire at the Ukpokiti Terminal, a boundary area between Ondo and Delta States on Wednesday, 2nd of February 2022.
The Management of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) in RECIEVERSHIP confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
The statement signed by SEPCOL’s Chief Executive Officer, Ikemefuna Okafor, disclosed that seven other crew members in the vessel at the time of the incident were still missing.
“We can confirm that three (3) crew members have been found alive in the community and our priority is to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical attention they need.
“Furthermore, in the early hours of Sunday 6th February 2022, one dead body was discovered in the vicinity of the FPSO. The identity of the dead body is yet to be ascertained.
“As earlier confirmed, the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, 3rd Feb. 2022, thus enabling closer inspection of the vessel. A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations took place on Saturday, 5th February 2022.
“The focus of our joint efforts is to prioritise investigations towards establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the 7 crew members still missing, clean up and limit damage to the environment, and establish the cause of the explosion”, Okafor stated.
The statement advised members of the public to stay away from the scene of the incident to allow its crisis management team thoroughly monitor developments of the incident.
It read further, “We appreciate the assistance provided by the Clean Nigeria Associates, the Chevron team, NOSDRA, NUPRC, SPDC, NIMASA and people in the community, particularly the fishermen, who have been of immense assistance since the incident occurred.
“Members of the public should continue to keep away from the area while our Crisis Management Team monitors developments in the investigations and update all stakeholders with new information accordingly.”
