Rig disaster families welcome critical study

The families of those killed in an oil rig accident 45 years ago have welcomed a new report that supports their claims of being denied justice.

The Alexander Kielland platform was being used as an accommodation block when it capsized in the Norwegian North Sea during a storm in 1980, killing 123 people, including 22 Britons.

A study from the University of Stavanger showed Concluded that authorities failed survivors and victims’ familiesFor which the Norwegian government has already apologized.

Laura Fleming, whose Father Michael was also among those killedSaid that the report will help in knowing the truth of what happened.

Mr Fleming, 37, was one of five people from Cleator Moor in Cumbria who died when the floating rig capsized on March 27, 1980, about 200 miles (322 km) off the Norwegian coast.

His daughter Laura, who is part of the Keeland Network of Families, said the “shocking truth” of what happened had only recently come to light and she still had many questions.

Stavanger University Study Concluded that Norwegian authorities prioritized protecting the reputation of the lucrative oil industry rather than fully exploring the causes of the disaster.

He said there were more complex factors involved than the simple breakage of a leg on a four-year-old platform, for which French manufacturers were blamed.

Ms Fleming, who lives in Durham, said the families were “pressured” into accepting the settlement in the wake of the disaster, with “no explanation given as to how the rig sank” and “the government’s door firmly closed to any questions.” Locked up”.

“The Norwegian government has made a conscious decision not to do what would naturally and sensibly be done after an accident,” Ms Fleming said. She said she did not want to conduct a full investigation because it could affect the industry that provides “wealth and prosperity”.

The Norwegian government has previously apologized for failures in its investigation, but ruled in 2021 that a new investigation would yield nothing new.

Ms Fleming said she was “grateful” for the “important” new study, saying it could “help uncover the truth”.