IMO expresses sympathy over oil rig disaster

29 April 2010

IMO, the London-based United Nations Agency responsible for shipping safety and the prevention of pollution from ships, has expressed its sympathy following the 20 April explosion and subsequent sinking of the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in loss of life and impact on the marine environment.

IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos has written to His Excellency Mr. Louis B. Susman, Ambassador of the United States to the United Kingdom, to convey the Organization’s compassion and condolences to all affected by the accident, while also welcoming the swift deployment of emergency response and search and rescue operations, together with the conduct of a comprehensive accident investigation, the outcome of which, once submitted to IMO, would be examined thoroughly so that any lessons learned may, as appropriate, be introduced into the Organization’s regulatory regime expeditiously, to the benefit of the global maritime community and the marine environment.

IMO is closely monitoring the situation from both its Headquarters and the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Information and Training Centre for the Wider Caribbean (REMPEITC-Caribe), located in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles.

The Deepwater Horizon exploded on 20 April 2010 and sank two days later off the coast of Louisiana. There were 126 people on the rig when the incident occurred. Eleven are missing and presumed dead, 17 were injured, three of them critically, and one injured person remains in hospital. A significant oil slick is now reportedly heading towards the coast of Louisiana.

IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

Source: IMO