Kielland platform families welcome new study
BBC
Laura Fleming’s father Michel was killed in the 1980 Kielland catastrophe
Families of those killed in an oil rig disaster 45 years ago have welcomed a new report that supports their claims of being denied justice.
The Alexander Kielland platform was being 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 UK.
A study by the University of Stavanger has concluded authorities failed the survivors and victims’ families, for which the Norwegian government has previously apologised.
Laura Fleming, whose father Michael was among those killed, said the report should help get to the truth of what happened.
Mr Fleming, 37, was one of five men from Cleator Moor, in Cumbria, who died when the floating rig capsized about 200 miles (322km) off the Norwegian coast on 27 March 1980.
His daughter Laura, who is part of the Kielland Network of families, said the “shocking truth” of what had happened had only recently been disclosed and she still had many questions.
Unknown/Norwegian Petroleum Museum
Michael Fleming (right) was among the 13 men killed when the Kielland capsized
The University of Stavanger study concluded Norwegian authorities prioritised protecting the reputation of the lucrative oil industry over fully exploring the disaster’s causes.
They said there were more complex factors involved than the simple snapping off of a leg on the four-year-old platform, which was blamed on the French manufacturers.
Sven Tonnessen/Norwegian Petroleum Museum
The Kielland platform (pictured after it had been recovered) was being used as an accommodation block when it capsized
Ms Fleming, who lives in Durham, said in the wake of the catastrophe families were “pressured” into accepting settlements with “no explanation offered as to how the rig sank” and the “door of power firmly closed to any questions”.
“The Norwegian government made a conscious decision not to do what would naturally and sensibly follow an accident,” Ms Fleming said, adding it did not want to carry out a full investigation as that could affect the industry which provided “wealth and prosperity”.
The Norwegian government has previously apologised for failings in its investigations but in 2021 ruled a fresh inquiry would not yield anything new.
Ms Fleming said she was “grateful” for the “important” new study, adding it may “help in bringing about the truth”.
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