The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has successfully rescued 19 crew members from the Britania U drilling platform, which was in distress at Ajakpa Field (OML 90), 10.77 nautical miles south of Forcadoes Terminal in Delta State, Nigeria. This incident occurred on Thursday, and NIMASA received the distress signal from the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center (RMRCC) Lagos.
A statement from NIMASA’s Head of Public Relations, Osagie Edward, confirmed that all 19 crew members were safely evacuated. The agency worked in collaboration with other responding agencies and first responders to ensure the safe rescue and evacuation of all individuals exposed to the incident.
Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the Director General of NIMASA, has established an incident command center within the office of the Agency’s Executive Director Operations. This center aims to develop an effective response plan for oil spills and other marine environmental and navigational safety incidents.
Additionally, NIMASA’s Marine Accident Investigation Unit has initiated an investigation into the causes of the mishap, as mandated by the Merchant Shipping Act 2007. The findings of this investigation will be published, and recommendations will be implemented to prevent future incidents.
