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A major fire has broken out on an offshore oil platform in Azerbaijan’s waters. While no official casualty count was immediately available, an independent report indicated that the disaster claimed 32 lives.
The ongoing rescue operation is hampered by stormy weather with waves rising up to 11 meters high, Trend news website reported.
The fire started overnight at a rig at the Gunashli field southeast of Neft Daşları (Oil Rocks) settlement. It was caused by strong winds that damaged a gas pipeline on the platform, the Azeri state energy company SOCAR said.
The independent Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Committee told Reuters that 32 platform workers were killed in the blaze and 42 rescued. The numbers were not immediately confirmed by SOCAR. The Azeri news agency ARA reported that 63 people worked on the rig, which doesn’t match the numbers provided by the independent committee.
Rescuers reported saving 32 people from the platform, but didn’t confirm any deaths.
In a separate incident in the area, the storm waves hit a small house near e Caspian shore with three people inside who remain missing, according to the news website Day.Az.