Search for families of oil rig disaster victims

Researchers investigating an oil rig disaster that claimed the lives of 123 workers over four decades ago are seeking information about two British individuals who perished. The Alexander Kielland platform capsized in turbulent weather conditions within the Norwegian North Sea oilfield in March 1980, with 22 British workers among the fatalities. The Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger is compiling a comprehensive historical account of the catastrophe and aims to establish contact with the relatives of two men about whom very little is currently known. Families from the UK continue to demand answers, but Norwegian authorities have ruled out a new inquiry. The Kielland, a French-built floating platform, was functioning as an accommodation block for nearby rigs when one of its five legs detached in heavy seas, causing it to overturn on March 27, 1980. Among those killed were five men from Cleator Moor in Cumbria, whose families state they are still seeking explanations regarding the disaster’s causes. Researchers at the museum in Stavanger indicated there were two British men whose families they still wished to trace. They are: Information concerning a third man from South Shields, for whom an appeal had previously been issued, has now been successfully retrieved. Else Tungland, the project leader, stated that they were “trying to locate all survivors and bereaved,” and that these three men were the last Britons whose families had yet to be found. Victims’ families have established the Kielland Network to offer mutual support and to urge the Norwegian government to reopen investigations into the disaster. Norwegian authorities conducted an investigation at the time, and a subsequent review identified errors, although a new inquiry was dismissed. For updates, follow BBC North East and BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story submissions can be sent to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.