A fire erupted early Tuesday morning on the Benguela Belize Lobito Tomboco (BBLT) offshore oil platform off the coast of Angola, injuring 17 workers during scheduled maintenance operations, according to the country’s oil and gas regulator.

The blaze broke out at approximately 3am local time on the basement deck of the multi-level structure. Operated by Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited (CABGOC), a subsidiary of US energy giant Chevron, the facility was undergoing routine annual maintenance at the time.

“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation,” Angola’s National Agency of Oil, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) said in a statement, noting that CABGOC teams responded promptly and were able to successfully extinguish the flames.

ANPG added that production at the site had been halted since May 1 as part of planned maintenance activities.

All injured personnel were airlifted to onshore medical facilities for treatment. According to Jornal de Angola, six individuals were transported to the Sacred Hope Clinic in Luanda, where four remain in critical condition and two others are reported to be in very serious condition. An additional four victims are receiving care at Cabinda’s General Hospital, where an acting clinical director stated that the patients had sustained mild burns. 

Speaking to Polygraph Africa, Cabinda’s provincial health secretary, Ruben Buco, confirmed that several victims of the explosion were being treated at local healthcare centers. He reported no fatalities as of Tuesday, although medical evaluations were still underway.

However, by Wednesday, Reuters reported – citing a statement from Chevron – that one person was missing in the aftermath of the fire.

The BBLT, a drilling production platform situated approximately 60 miles (96.5 km) offshore from Cabinda, houses living quarters for up to 157 personnel.

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