A helicopter carrying foreign contractors crashed into an oil platform off the coast of Dubai, killing all seven people on board and halting production in one of the emirate's four offshore oil fields, officials said Thursday.
The Bell 212 helicopter crashed at 8:23 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Emirates' Civil Aviation Authority. It was carrying workers to a recently installed jackup rig owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S but operated by oilfield service provider Petrofac Ltd. on behalf of state-owned Dubai Petroleum Co., the companies said, according to the AP.
A fire broke out shortly after the crash on the main deck of the rig, which is located in the Rashid field about 40 miles off shore. Petrofac and Dubai Petroleum said the blaze was quickly extinguished but that all operations in the Rashid field have been halted.
Olly Scott, a spokesman representing Petrofac, said it was unclear when the rig would be back in service. The victims included a citizen each from the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan, the Philippines and Venezuela, as well as two Indians, Emirati aviation authorities said.
A Dubai Petroleum spokesman said five of the victims were passengers and two were crew members.
Dubai Petroleum and Petrofac said the helicopter — operated by Dubai-based Aerogulf Services which transports staff and equipment to oil and gas platforms — struck the deck of the rig during takeoff, broke apart and plunged into the Persian Gulf waters.
