Shell's Tern Alpha Platform Evacuated Due to Electrical Fire

An electrical fire has caused nearly 130 personnel to be taken off a North Sea oil platform. Aberdeen Coastguard said it had transferred non-essential workers from the Tern Alpha platform situated 107 miles off Shetland in the North Sea. Four helicopters were involved in the evacuation along with an RAF Nimrod.

The fire broke out in a gas generator on the Shell operated platform around 0045 GMT on Thursday, believed to have been caused by a high voltage electrical motor overheating. A spokesman for the coastguard said the fire was now extinguished and there were no reported injuries.

Sixty-five people remain on board the platform. Shell have said all workers have been accounted for.

A Shell spokeswoman said some of the evacuated workers had been transferred to the company's North Cormorant platform.

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Posted 16/03/06

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