Norway to Set Up Compensation Scheme for Victims of 1980 Oil Rig Disaster
In a landmark decision, Norway’s parliament has voted to establish a compensation scheme for the relatives of 123 men who lost their lives in the Alexander L Kielland oil rig disaster in the North Sea 45 years ago. The move has been hailed as a major breakthrough by campaigners and politicians who have been fighting for justice for decades.
According to a report by The Guardian, the Kielland oil rig capsized on March 27, 1980, when one of its five legs snapped in strong winds and high seas. The semi-submersible platform was housing 212 workers from the nearby Edda drilling rig, including 23 Britons. The disaster led to widespread outrage and recriminations, with several investigations failing to assign responsibility.
The Guardian report states that multiple mistakes contributed to the heavy loss of life, including a welding defect, doors and hatches left open, and a lack of safety training for workers onboard. A report by experts at the University of Stavanger this year concluded that the Norwegian authorities’ actions before and after the collapse were seriously flawed.
"This is a historic day, the end of more than four decades of fighting for justice," said MÃmir Kristjánsson, an MP from the leftwing Red party. The chair of the victims’ committee, Anders Helliksen, said the state had "finally accepted its responsibility". The parliamentary motion passed by a narrow majority demanded the government set up a "separate compensation scheme" for the Kielland victims and that the auditor general "clarify the state’s responsibility" for the disaster and its lack of support for victims.
The Guardian report also highlighted the long-term impact of the disaster on survivors and the bereaved families. "Many have had a very difficult time, with trauma, psychiatric issues, substance abuse and poor finances," the Kielland Network said on its website. Norway’s parliament, the Storting, formally apologised for state authorities’ shortcomings in 2022, a year after the national auditor general issued strongly worded criticism of the government for failing in its duty to victims.
The amount of compensation has not yet been set, but the decision to establish a scheme has been welcomed by campaigners and politicians. "The fact that this has taken so long shows that the state has never taken any responsibility for what happened in the North Sea," said one survivor, Oddbjørn Lerbrekk. "It’s about time." As The Guardian noted, Eva Joly, one of the authors of the University of Stavanger report, said the disaster was a result of a "long chain of negligence, omissions and violations of rules designed precisely to prevent an accident becoming a disaster".
The decision to establish a compensation scheme brings closure to a tragic event that has had far-reaching consequences for the families of the victims and the wider community. According to The Guardian, between 300 and 400 children lost their fathers in the disaster, and the survivors and bereaved families have had to live with the trauma of that day for far too long.
The move by Norway’s parliament to establish a compensation scheme is seen as a major step towards healing and closure for those affected by the disaster. As reported by The Guardian, the scheme will provide financial support to the victims and their families, and will help to bring an end to a difficult chapter in Norwegian history.
