LAGOS, 08 February 2022, (TON): The ship operator said “three crew members on board a Nigerian oil vessel that exploded and sank last week have been found alive while seven were still missing.”

The Nigerian FPSO Trinity Spirit a floating production, storage and offloading vessel caught fire following an explosion, but the blaze was extinguished a day later.

The vessel was located at the Ukpokiti Terminal, along the coast of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

Ten crew members were on board the vessel at the time of the accident.

Ikemefuna Okafor, the executive officer of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd. (SEPCOL), the vessel owner, said “three crew members have been found alive in the community.”

He said “the company would ensure they receive the appropriate medical attention.”

However, Okafor said that one dead body was discovered in the vicinity of the vessel, but it was not immediately clear if it was a crew member.

He said “the identity of the dead body is yet to be ascertained.”

He added that efforts were ongoing to find the remaining crew members.

“Focus of our joint efforts is to prioritize investigations toward establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the seven crew members still missing, clean up and limit damage to the environment, and establish the cause of the explosion.”