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Workers evacuated from North Sea oil rig
Britain evacuated oil workers from a North Sea accommodation platform yesterday after reports of a bomb threat but officials said the incident was quickly contained and there was no need to send in a bomb squad.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:21 February 11, 2008
- Hundreds of workers were evacuated from the Safe Scandinavia oil rig on Sunday.
- Image Credit: AP
London: Britain evacuated oil workers from a North Sea accommodation platform yesterday after reports of a bomb threat but officials said the incident was quickly contained and there was no need to send in a bomb squad.
About 14 helicopters and a Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft were sent to the Safe Scandinavia platform in the Britannia oil field, 210 kilometres northeast of the Scottish city of Aberdeen, following a security alert, officials said.
Sky News television reported that comments by a 23-year-old female worker had led officials to believe there was an explosive device on the rig, and she was taken ashore for questioning.
Sky later quoted sources as saying the episode was being treated as a hoax.
There was no information immediately available on whether the incident had affected production.
A police spokeswoman said the incident had been "very quickly contained from a police point of view".
"It is understood the incident was sparked by comments made by a woman on the installation," said a spokesman for the Kinloss Royal Air Force base in Scotland, which had aircraft involved in the operation.
The Ministry of Defence in London was preparing to send a bomb disposal team but a spokesman said later the bomb squad had been stood down. "I think everybody is safe," a ministry spokesman said.
A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said about 500 oil workers were being evacuated to other platforms and there were no reports of any injuries.
BBC News 24 quoted sources as saying the incident was not terrorist-related. The RAF spokesman said about 14 helicopters were involved in the operation.
"There's a security alert. We've been requested to send out helicopters," he said.
"It is a major response to a potential situation, rather than a known situation," he added.
The Nimrod was dispatched to the area to oversee the helicopters' operations.
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