Explosion on exploration vessel in Azerbaijan: one killed, three injured

One person died and three were seriously injured in an explosion on a vessel owned by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).

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An explosion that ‘could not’ have happened

The explosion occurred on the afternoon of October 29.

The ship transported explosives used in seismic studies in shallow water. But SOCAR claims that these substances are completely safe to transport.  That is, the company claims it is not clear why the explosion occurred.

The Baku prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal case under the article “Violation of labor protection requirements, resulting in the death of a person by negligence”.  

A ‘forgotten’ fire

This is not the first accident related to SOCAR: the most serious of them was a fire on the Guneshli oil platform.

The fire occurred in December 2015, when an underwater gas pipeline was damaged due to a storm.  12 people died and 18 went missing.

Then a criminal case was also launched for the violation of fire safety rules, but then the investigation died out, and no one was brought to justice.  The families of the victims were paid compensation.