(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency) BAKU Azerbaijan Safar 23 1437 December 05 2015 SPA -- One worker was killed 30 were missing and 33 were rescued Saturday after a fire swept through a Caspian Sea oil platform owned by Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR the company said according to AP.
The missing workers were in a lifeboat that fell into stormy seas according to a joint statement issued late Saturday by SOCAR the country's emergency services and the prosecutor general's office. It was unclear if any of the missing workers would be found alive.
The fire on the platform in the offshore Guneshli field broke out Friday evening when an underwater gas pipeline was damaged in a heavy storm. Strong winds and waves up to 10 meters (33 feet) high made rescue operations extremely difficult the statement said.
The workers evacuated the platform getting into two lifeboats which were then lowered to 10 meters above the water the statement said. Ships were sent to the site to then pull the lifeboats to shore but they were prevented from doing so by the heavy seas.
About 10:45 p.m. Friday a hook holding one of the lifeboats popped open and the boat fell into the sea the statement said adding that a nearby ship was able to rescue three workers from that lifeboat and retrieve the body of one who died. The workers in the other lifeboat were rescued Saturday it said.
The fire was still burning Saturday night the statement said.
--SPA
22:21 LOCAL TIME 19:21 GMT
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