Two missing after Prospector 5 sinks off Gabon
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Agpgabon
Two people remain missing after the Prospector 5 oil platform sank off Mayumba, in south-western Gabon. One hundred and ten of the 115 people on board evacuated the installation, and three of the five initially missing have been found; the gendarmerie and the Tchibanga prosecutor are involved in the search and investigations, AGP reports.
Two members of staff remain missing after the Prospector 5 oil platform sank off Mayumba, in south-western Gabon, an authorised source at the Mayumba territorial gendarmerie brigade told AGP on Monday 26 October. The accident happened on the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October.
There were 115 people on board the platform. One hundred and ten evacuated the installation using lifeboats; three of the five people initially reported missing were later found. According to preliminary information reported by AGP, the platform, which is believed to be linked to the oil company BW Energy, sank completely. The public prosecutor at the Tchibanga Court of First Instance travelled to Mayumba to examine the circumstances of the accident.
The toll announced on Monday was two missing, following several initial reports about the victims of the sinking. The three Gabonese among the five initially missing were included in the initial tally published on 26 October. The opening of an investigation after the sinking was announced on 25 October.
Update, 26 October 2026: The Prospector 5 drilling rig sank off Mayumba, in southern Gabon, leaving one person dead and four missing, according to Borr Drilling; Gabonese authorities put the number at five. Read: Prospector 5 sinks in Gabon, leaving one dead and four missing.
