Fire breaks out at offshore platform leaving five dead and one missing

Perenco Oil and Gas Gabon, a subsidiary of the Anglo-French oil and gas player Perenco, has reported a fire incident, which took place at its offshore platform located off the coast of Gabon.

Based on initial reports, this fire incident, which occurred at Perenco’s Becuna platform on the Simba field offshore Gabon on March 20, 2024, left two injured and five missing. While the injured workers were evacuated to shore, all personnel on the platform, who were not injured, were moved to a safe location.

However, the most recent update indicates that five people have lost their lives due to this incident while another person is still missing. Perenco, which has activated its emergency response procedure, underlines that the area has been secured and the fire has been extinguished.

“We deeply regret to confirm that there have been five fatalities and one person is still missing. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and we are focused on supporting them at this time. Emergency teams continue to be deployed on site and to search for the missing person,” explained Perenco.

The company is currently working closely with the emergency services and the relevant authorities, thus, more information about the incident and the missing worker is expected to be made available as soon as possible.

While oil and gas companies have put a lot of effort into bolstering safety and security at their offshore installations, accidents and incidents still spring up now and then. A recent tragic helicopter accident in Norway led to the death of a crew member.