Tragedy: a worker died when a pipeline exploded on a production platform off Trinidad
Trinidad pipe rupture kills one
A Trinidadian maintenance worker died today when a gas pipeline on an offshore platform ruptured.
Two other workers on the offshore platform of state-owned Trinmar also suffered serious injuries, authorities said.
Trinmar's parent company, Petrotrin, said in a statement that Ricardo Felix died from serious burns while undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
The company did not say what caused the rupturing of the pipeline but said a team had been appointed to investigate the incident.
Ancil Roget, vice president of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union, told Reuters the workers were in the direct path of the ruptured segment of pipeline.
"There was a sudden release of 1200 psi gas which came into contact with the workers, " said Roget.
Criticisng the safety record of Petrotrin, he said the company continues to fail to implement adequate safety measures.
"If it means we have to stop work, then work will have to be affected to bring about a safe system," Roget said.