Workers evacuated from UK oil platform fire

LONDON, Mar 16: More than 130 workers were evacuated by helicopter after a fire broke out on an oil platform in the North Sea off Scotland today the Coastguard said.

Oil major Royal Dutch Shell Plc , which operates the platform, said it had shut in 25,200 barrels per day of North Sea crude following the fire.

A spokeswoman said there was no time frame for resumption of the shut-in crude as Shell was still investigating the cause of the electrical fire, extinguished early today.

Helicopters were scrambled to the Tern Alpha platform, 265 miles off northeast Scotland, after a report of a fire in a generator, a Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said.

''The fire is virtually out,'' he said. ''There's still some smoke, no flames and the heat is really well diminished. Local platform fire teams are investigating the area.'' About 135 non-essential workers have been taken by helicopter from the platform, leaving 56 staff behind, he added.

In a statement, Aberdeen Coastguard's watch manager George Downie said rescuers were being helped by relatively good weather for the time of year.

''We are working closely with everyone involved to continue to carry out search and rescue and evacuation procedures, until all personnel on board are out of harm's way,'' he said.

REUTERS