Eighteen staff of Brittania-U company have been hospitalized following an explosion that rocked its FSPO Ultimate Rig in Escravos waterways of Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta state.
The victims were rescued on Friday by the personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Escravos of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Delta under commodore Abba Muhsin.
The cause of the explosion is yet to be established as a reliable source who craved anonymity disclosed that 19 persons were involved in the tragic incident adding that one of the victims died during the explosion of the oil rig.
The victims are presently receiving treatment at the Central hospital in Warri, as a result of exhaustion and burns sustained from the fire.
The company who owns the oil rig are
operators of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 90 in Ogulaha Community in Forcados, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta, and engages in oil exploration.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship NNS Delta who took the rescued victims to the Warri Central hospital, have cordoned off the area as part of security measures to ward off intruders.