BW Offshore said an explosion occurred onboard the unit at 1250hrs local time and that three fatalities had been confirmed and that 10 others were injured. Brazil's Unified Oilworkers Federation said in a statement on its website that six were missing. Two of the injured were reported to have suffered "grave burns" while the other eight injured had suffered trauma.
The union said that the explosion was caused by a gas leak in the engine. A further 32 workers have been evacuated from the FPSO.
The FPSO is operating in the Camarupim and Camarupim Norte fields in Espirito Santo littoral for Petrobras approximately 120 km off the coast.
“Petrobras triggered the emergency response and relevant authorities have been informed. Production has been stopped and the unit has been shut down,” BW Offshore said.
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