Russian Oil Rig Sinks, 4 Confirmed Dead

The Russian oil rig Kolskoye sank early Sunday morning after capsizing amid heavy seas off Russia's east coast. The oil rig had a crew of 67 people and was not operating when it reportedly capsized and sank in a matter of about 20 minutes. 4 members of the crew have been confirmed dead, 49 are missing and 14 were rescued from the icy waters approximately 124 miles off Russia's Sakhalin Island.

The icebreaker ship and the tugboat had been pulling the rig when it capsized, and these two ships found the 14 survivors as well as four bodies and two life rafts floating empty in the Pacific Ocean. Search teams worked late into the night despite high seas to look for any remaining survivors. The crew had access to survival equipment such as life vests, but may not have been able to reach the equipment because the ship sank so quickly.

The Russian rig Kolskoye was part of Russia's ambitions to expand their offshore drilling. Russians have recently pushed ahead with plans to drill in their sector of the Arctic Ocean, an area where the United States has put off drilling because of ice-clogged and storm-prone areas. Rescue and cleanup work is considerably more complex in these areas because of weather conditions and seamen are at greater risk for injuries. For those working on oil rigs, offshore accidents may result in back injuries, spine injuries or even fatalities.

If you or someone you love has been injured while working on an oil rig or an offshore vessel, you may have the right to seek compensation. A Texas offshore injury attorney can investigate the circumstances surrounding your accident in order to determine if safety standards were violated or if a negligent employer was at fault. Don't wait to contact a Texas oil platform injury lawyer at our firm for help with your offshore injury case.