A major fire has broken out on an offshore oil platform in Azerbaijan’s waters. While no official casualty count was immediately available, an independent report indicated that the disaster claimed 32 lives.
Azerbaijan's state oil company says at least 25 workers have been rescued from a burning oil rig in the Caspian Sea.
The rig owned by SOCAR caught fire late on December 4 when the company said a gas line was damaged in heavy winds. The stormy weather was making it difficult to extinguish the flames.
The company said on December 4 that all workers had been moved away from the area on fire, with all or most of them taking shelter in lifeboats attached to the platform.
A company representative said on December 5 that at least 25 had been rescued but declined to say how many workers were on the platform when the fire broke out.