Rescued rig staff taken ashore

The platform is 27 miles off East Yorkshire

More than 100 people have been taken safely back to land after a North Sea gas rig was struck by a fishing boat.

Workers were rescued after the collision at 0930 BST on Wednesday damaged one leg of the platform 27 miles off the East Yorkshire coast.

They were airlifted by helicopter to an oil tanker.

Helicopters then took 48 to Humberside Airport before bad weather stopped the transfer.

Structural damage

The damage to the platform, which is in the Rough gas field, approximately 27 miles off the East Yorkshire coast near Bridlington, was still being assessed but it is understood the platform suffered structural damage to one of its legs.

Later, workers arriving by helicopter at Humberside airport spoke of their relief at being back on land.

Bill Dimmick, 43, a construction manager for sub-contractor Amec, a married father-of-two from Hull, said he was in a meeting when he heard a bang.

He said: "We heard the impact and the shudder lasted for three to five seconds.

RAF crews winched workers to safety

"The evacuation was carried out very, very well. It was handled extremely well. It was extremely foggy at the time but whether that had anything to do with the accident I'm not sure I could comment.

"I'm a little bit shaken but pleased to be on dry land."

Mr Dimmick said the incident had not dented his confidence in the offshore industry but said problems like this were always a possibility.

He added: "I'll be back next week to start doing the repairs." Safety adviser Tony Gell, 49, a married father-of-one, also from Hull, said there was no panic as the order was given to evacuate the rig.

"Handled well"

"The management on the platform just reacted in such a way that no person was put at risk. In their judgment it was better to get people off the platform and sort out the problem later.

"Structural engineers will be there within the next 48 hours doing just that. There was no real emergency, no real panic, the situation was handled really well. You always train for things like this but this time it was no exercise, it was for real."

A spokeswoman for the US-based Dynegy Storage, which ran the Rough 33 platform, said 19 men had stayed on platform to carry out maintenance work.

Lifeboats had been launched from Bridlington and the Humber and other vessels stood by to offer help after the collision.

All platform staff have been accounted for, along with the 21-strong crew of the fishing vessel the Marbella.

There are no reports of injuries.

The spokeswoman for Dynegy said the operation had been closed for annual maintenance and there had been no escape of gas.

She said that all the evacuated workers were fine.

"The men are just feeling a little tired and all they want to do is get home to their families," she said.

An investigation is being launched which is likely to focus on how the vessel came to collide with the giant gas platform.

People worried about family or friends on the platform can call 01224 861111.