3 dead in platform collapse in the Caspian Sea

At least three people were killed when an offshore drilling platform collapsed in the Azeri waters of the Caspian Sea, a government ministry declared.

Parts of a platform at the Narimanov oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea collapsed late Thursday during repair operations.

The State Oil Co. of the Azerbaijan Republic and the Ministry of Emergencies said in a statement at least three workers were confirmed dead and a search was ongoing for the body of another missing worker.

A section of the platform housing worker units collapsed into a natural gas pipeline during the incident. A fire on board the structure burned for about 45 minutes, authorities said.

There were about 40 people on board the platform at the time of the incident, which is still under investigation.

The Azeri- Chirag-Guneshli oil and natural gas complex and the Shah Deniz gas field off the coast of Azerbaijan are among the largest of their kind.