The Nigerian National Petroleum Company(NNPC) has confirmed seven persons dead in the explosion at the Oil Mining Lease 40 ‘operated by one of its subsidiaries Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) in Delta State.
The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division (NNPC), Kennie Obateru confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to him, the incident happened on Tuesday evening at Gbetiokun during the installation of a ladder on a platform (Benin River Valve Station) for access during discharging of Gbetiokun production.
He added that investigation on the cause of the explosion had commenced, while the Department of Petroleum Resources had been duly notified and Form 41 was being prepared for the industry regulator as required in circumstances of this nature.
“The bodies of casualties have been deposited in a morgue in Sapele, while families of the personnel involved are being contacted by their employers: Weld Affairs and Flow Impact, which are consultants to NPDC,” he added.
He said all personnel on board the platform have been fully accounted.
According to him, the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, also commiserated with the families of the bereaved and prayed that God grants them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss of their loved ones.
