MUMBAI, July 30: Six Indian divers trapped in a decompression chamber for three days after a massive blaze at an oil platform that killed 11 people off the coast of Mumbai will need an extra day to recover, an official said on Saturday. The oil and gas platform burst into flames on Wednesday when heavy swells pushed a support vessel into the structure. The divers’ decompression chamber was onboard the vessel which could not be moved after the collision.
“The divers are expected to be brought to shore on Sunday,” said P.K. Dash, spokesman for the platform’s owner, state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC). Meanwhile naval and coast guard ships continued to search for survivors from the accident. On Saturday, Dash said the company found one of the people listed as missing was onboard another ship at the time of the blaze, taking the total number of people rescued to 362.
“We had a miscount from our end as the employee was found to be on another ship. The official numbers now stand at 11 dead, 11 missing and 362 rescued,” Dash added. The divers, who are in the constant contact with a life-saving team, have been kept under supervision for one more day to ensure they can safely leave the chamber which equalizes their oxygen levels after deep sea dives.
“We spoke to the international agency Sabtex International. They urged that the divers should be given some more time” to recuperate, Dash said. The divers work for Sabtex which is under contract to ONGC.
“I maintain that their condition is safe,” he said. A massive night rescue operation involving eight naval and coastguard ships, two aircraft and four helicopters from the air force and navy rescued hundreds of survivors in heavy rains after the platform burst into flames.
Some workers on the platform 160 kilometres west of Mumbai donned lifejackets and jumped into heavy seas where they were rescued by coastguards and navy after more than 12 hours in towering waves.—AFP
