This is the largest number of casualties in an accident the Russian oil sector has ever experienced, says Boris Nikitin from the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas. The last big accident happened in the Caspian Sea in 1957, when 22 people died when an oil rig overturned and sank.
Read also: Number of dead rising after oil rig tragedy
Nikitin states that the number on people aboard “Kolskaya” during the towing operations was too high. – There are two teams on a floating drilling rig – one is responsible for the rig as a vessel, the other for the drilling operation. When they have finished drilling operations, the drilling team should leave the rig and only those responsible for the rig during towing should stay aboard, he explains to RBC.
The Russian Federal Investigation Committee has published a list over 11 dead that have been identified. 8 of these come from Murmansk. At least 32 of the crew of 67 came from the Murmansk region.
Read also: Day of mourning in Murmansk
Meanwhile, in the Sea of Okhotsk, search for people have continued with helicopters, planes and boats. The search might be stopped on Friday due to bad weather forecasts in the area, RIA Novosti writes.
