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BBCFamilies of those killed in an oil rig disaster 45 years ago have welcomed a new report supporting claims of a denial of justice.
The Alexander Kielland platform was being used as an accommodation block when it capsized in the Norwegian North Sea in a storm in 1980, killing 123 people, including 22 from the UK.
A study by the University of Stavanger has done it they concluded that the authorities had failed the survivors and the families of the victimsBecause the Norwegian government has previously apologized.
Laura Fleming, whose father Mikel was among the deadhe said that the report should help to get to the truth of what happened.
Mr Fleming, 37, was one of five men from Cleator Moor, Cumbria, who died on March 27, 1980, when the lifeboat capsized about 200 miles (322 km) off the coast of Norway.
His daughter Laura, who is part of the Kielland Family Network, said she had only recently been exposed to the “shocking truth” of what happened and still had many questions.
Unknown/Norwegian Petroleum MuseumThe Stavanger University exam they concluded that Norwegian authorities prioritized protecting the reputation of the lucrative oil industry over fully exploring the causes of the disaster.
They said there were more complex factors than just breaking a leg of the four-year-old platform, blamed on the French manufacturers.
Sven Tonnessen/Norwegian Petroleum MuseumMs Fleming, who lives in Durham, said after the disaster the families were “pressured” into accepting settlements, with “no explanation as to how the platform sank” and “the power door firmly closed to any questions”.
“The Norwegian government made a conscious decision not to do what is not natural and sensible after an accident,” Ms Fleming said, adding that she did not want a full investigation because it could affect an industry that provided “wealth and prosperity”.
The Norwegian government previously apologized for the failure of its investigations, but decided that a new investigation in 2021 would not reveal anything new.
Ms Fleming said she was “grateful” for the “important” investigation, adding that it “may help get to the truth”.
