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Guys,
This msg is from my nephew working for British Gas on Panna Platform –

I am safe and pretty comfortable at Panna platform. The perished BHN platform is about 40 miles from here. We have been supporting the rescue operations by sending two boats Tiger Tide and Orient Tide to help in the rescue operations there!

Some first hand information about the incident.

It all happened with the ONGC multi purpose vessel Sagar Surakshas catering man who cut his finger while chopping a few vegetables. Since the vessel had inadequate medical facilities they requested rig Charlie Yester stationed at BHN platform for assistance. Rig replied saying that they could pick up the injured person provided the vessel sagar suraksha came close by to picked up by a crane (usually people are transferred from rigs/platforms to boats by a human basket lifted by a crane!). As Sagar Suraksha approached the rig, it got out of control and was approaching to hit the rig...Sagar suraksha is a huge vessel and my colleague has personally been on the vessel ...all i can say that its HUGGGEEEEE...and the very fact that it was approaching to hit the rig is SCARRYYY....

.Sensing the gravity of the situation the platform manager at BHN sounded the Abandon Platform alarm and almost all people just jumped into the water...some who managed to board a life boat were found while others just jumped into the water. The vessel kept brushing against the rig for 15 minutes and then caught fire.

The resuce operations are still on and some people are still missing.

It is difficult to hold/secure at a place in the seas in the current tidal conditions. I also beleive that being in water for 15-20 hours and then being found alive is SURVIVAL. There were divers about 6 in number who are trapped (but secure) in the vessel that was on fire. I believe they have been rescued.

I had the opportunity to listen to live radio communication happening during the rescue operations.

ONGC has managed the disaster very effectively and perhaps this can be regarded as the most efficient resuce operations in the history of disasters given the ratio of the number of people dead to the scale of the incident.

I really am amazed at peoples calmness in handling such emergencies.

It is very easy to get panicky during such emergencies. I also did hear frightful voices over the radio calling for help that shall linger with me for years to come.

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What's the difference between people who pray in church and those who pray in casinos?
The ones in the casinos are serious.

667medic

RIP to the departed souls. Plaudits to ONGC....