07-27-2005, 09:38 PM
<b>Fire breaks out on Indian oil rig</b> <!--emo&:furious--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/furious.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='furious.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b>A fire has broken out on a major oil platform off India's west coast - there are fears of many casualties.</b>
India's Oil Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said that up to 300 people were on the platform but their fate was unclear.
"We had a major fire and the platform has been completely destroyed," Mr Aiyar said.
The platform, in the Bombay High field, is run by the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and produces 100,000 barrels of oil a day.
It is some 160km (100 miles) off the coast of Mumbai, India's commercial capital.
It is not clear how the fire started. Some reports say that a supply boat hit the platform.
<b>'Major accident' </b>
Two navy helicopters have been trying to rescue workers but have been hampered by the flames.
The Bombay High field is India's biggest oil field, producing about half of the country's crude oil output, the Associated Press news agency says.
The fire began at 1630 local time (1130 GMT).
ONGC's website described the fire as "a major accident".
It said that some helicopters that might have been used in the rescue operation were grounded because of severe flooding in the region.
Heavy monsoon rains have been wreaking havoc on land, disrupting transport and telecommunications.
<b>A fire has broken out on a major oil platform off India's west coast - there are fears of many casualties.</b>
India's Oil Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said that up to 300 people were on the platform but their fate was unclear.
"We had a major fire and the platform has been completely destroyed," Mr Aiyar said.
The platform, in the Bombay High field, is run by the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and produces 100,000 barrels of oil a day.
It is some 160km (100 miles) off the coast of Mumbai, India's commercial capital.
It is not clear how the fire started. Some reports say that a supply boat hit the platform.
<b>'Major accident' </b>
Two navy helicopters have been trying to rescue workers but have been hampered by the flames.
The Bombay High field is India's biggest oil field, producing about half of the country's crude oil output, the Associated Press news agency says.
The fire began at 1630 local time (1130 GMT).
ONGC's website described the fire as "a major accident".
It said that some helicopters that might have been used in the rescue operation were grounded because of severe flooding in the region.
Heavy monsoon rains have been wreaking havoc on land, disrupting transport and telecommunications.