Norwegian State to Offer Compensation to Families of Kielland Disaster Victims
In a landmark decision, the Norwegian parliament, known as the Storting, has voted to offer compensation to the families of those killed in the Alexander Kielland oil rig disaster 45 years ago. The vote, which passed by 53 votes to 51, marks a significant step towards closure for the survivors and families of the 120 people who lost their lives in the tragedy.
The disaster occurred on 27 March 1980, when the Alexander Kielland floating platform capsized in the North Sea oil fields. The platform, which was being used as an accommodation platform for the nearby Edda rig, had one of its legs break off during a storm. A 1981 Norwegian inquiry attributed the disaster to a crack in one of the braces caused during its construction in France.
According to the BBC, survivors and families of those killed have been campaigning for compensation from the Norwegian state for many years. Laura Fleming, from Durham, whose father Michael died in the disaster, said she was "ecstatic" about the vote. "It is easy to get lost in the whole battle of everything and to forget what you are fighting for, but really it’s for justice and acknowledgement of what happened," she said.
The BBC reports that the motion had been opposed by the government but passed through the Storting after 11 MPs engaged in a nearly hour-long debate. Merete Haslund, a leader of the Kielland Network, said the compensation would "mean a lot to people", adding: "Very many people have been suffering not just mentally but also economically."
Ingrid Fiskaa, the foreign policy spokesperson for the Socialist Left Party and an MP for the Rogaland county, was one of those putting forward the motion. She said the disaster was still having an effect on many people in her region and was "still an open wound".
Mimir Kristjansson, an MP for the Red Party representing Rogaland, said the vote was a "historic day" and the compensation was 45 years overdue. "Oil has made Norway a very, very rich country but it has also cost a lot of lives," he told the BBC.
The BBC notes that the Norwegian government apologised and funded a study to assess the impact on those affected. Tonje Brenna, the Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion of Norway, said it was for the employers to pay compensation at the time, not the state. However, the win by just two votes means the Norwegian government will now have to determine a compensation settlement.
