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Kielland platform families welcome new study

BBC A woman with long red hair wearing a black scarf and coat looks at the camera. Behind her is the sea and a rockBBC

Laura Fleming’s father Michael was killed in the 1980 Kielland disaster

Families of those killed in the oil rig disaster 45 years ago have welcomed a new report that supports their claims that justice is being denied.

The Alexander Kjelland platform was used as an accommodation block when it capsized in the Norwegian North Sea during a storm in 1980, killing 123 people, including 22 from the United Kingdom.

A study conducted by the University of Stavanger The authorities evacuated the survivors and the families of the victimsfor which the Norwegian government had previously apologized.

Laura Fleming, who Father Michael was among those killedHe said the report should help get to the bottom of what happened.

Mr Fleming, 37, was one of five men from Cleator Moor, in Cumbria, who died when the floating dredger capsized about 200 miles (322 km) off the Norwegian coast on March 27, 1980.

His daughter Laura, who is part of the Kielland Network of Families, said the “horrific truth” of what happened had recently come to light and she still had many questions.

Unknown/Norwegian Petroleum Museum Old photo of two men standing side by side looking into the camera. The man on the left wears an orange boiler suit, a white chef hat and has a thick black beard. The one on the right contains the orange jumper, a yellow helmet and orange corrosion defenders.Unknown/Norwegian Petroleum Museum

Michael Fleming (right) was among 13 men killed when Kjelland capsized

the Study University of Stavanger Norwegian authorities concluded it was a priority to protect the reputation of the lucrative oil industry by fully exploring the causes of the disaster.

They said there were more complicating factors than the simple elimination of the leg on the four-year-old platform, which was blamed on French manufacturers.

Sven Tonnessen/Norwegian Petroleum Museum Large metal platformNorwegian Petroleum Museum Sven Tonnessen/Norwegian

The Kielland platform (pictured after recovery) was used as a stay block when it capsized

Ms Fleming, who lives in Durham, said in the wake of the disaster, acceptance of settlements had been “pressured” with “no explanation given as to how the rig sank” and “the door to power firmly shut on any questions”.

“The Norwegian government made a conscious decision not to do what would naturally and reasonably follow an accident,” Ms. Fleming said, adding that she did not want a full investigation because it might affect an industry that provided “wealth and prosperity.”

The Norwegian government has previously apologized for failures in its investigations, but in 2021 ruled that the new investigation would not achieve anything new.

Ms Fleming said she was “grateful” for the “important” new study, adding that it may “help bring about the truth”.

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2025-01-25 01:01:00

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