Family of oil rig tragedy crew wants further investigation

The families of the men who died when an oil rig tipped over want UK authorities to start a new investigation into the accident.

The Alexander Kielland accommodation platform flipped over in 1980 near Norway, and 123 men died.

Family members, some from Cumbria, will come together in parliament in December and want to help start the inquiry process.

A government investigation in Norway found that a crack in one of the support beams caused the rig to sink before it was saved.

The Kielland boat turned over and went underwater in a storm on March 27, 1980, in the Ecofisk oil field.

A year later, an investigation found that the disaster, which 89 people survived, was caused by a crack in a support beam of the flotel. The investigation was done in private.

Two years ago, the Norwegian government agreed that there were mistakes in the report, but said there was no reason to investigate again.

Colin Lamb, who lives in Plumbland near Aspatria in west Cumbria, lost his father, also named Colin, in the accident. His father’s body has never been found.

He was one of 34 British men living on the Kielland and working hard to extract oil from the ocean floor.

“We lost my dad in 1980 and I still have dreams about him, like he’s still with us,” he said.

He said that the pain is worse because the families who lost a loved one have not gotten any answers.

“My dad’s passport was found and kept in the Norwegian archives two months ago,” he said.

We should have had the passport in 1983 when the Kielland was raised. We should have talked about this in the 1980s, not now.

Mr Lamb and his family want the Norwegian government to start a new investigation.

Around 15 lawmakers who represent people impacted by the disaster will meet with families in parliament next month.

The event was planned by Mark Jenkinson, who is a Conservative member of Parliament for Workington.

“Those families want to know what happened. ” I think people outside of Norway have noticed some problems in the process, he said.

“I will do everything I can to help the people I represent and others by working with other MPs to bring attention to the issues and find solutions. ”

Alan Hunter, who is from Distington near Workington, went to Norway in September for a conference about the disaster. His father Keith also died in the disaster.

“We haven’t been told anything for a long time and the British government had no part in it from the beginning,” he said.

“It would be great to find out some answers and finish it all. ”

“A person from the UK Foreign Office said: “The British Embassy in Oslo has talked with the Norwegian authorities about this problem. ”

“The Norwegian authorities will handle any additional investigation into the incident. ”