The search continues for oilmen who went missing in the Caspian Sea as a result of an accident at the oil-gathering station #3 of the Oil and Gas Production Department of SOCAR’s Azneft Production Union, the headquarters, created in connection with the incident under the Azerbaijani president’s order on 16 Dec. 2016, said in a statement on Dec. 18.

A plan of search and rescue operations has already been approved and search and rescue areas have been determined by experts from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Defense, the State Border Service, the State Maritime Administration, the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC and SOCAR, said the statement.

In accordance with the approved plan, 44 vessels, 6 helicopters and more than 700 personnel of the abovementioned structures are involved in the search for the missing oilmen.

Moreover, personnel of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the State Border Service are involved in the search in coastal areas. The district executive authorities of areas included in the search and rescue sectors have been instructed in this regard. The public will be regularly informed about the ongoing activities of the headquarters.

On Dec. 16, 2016, President Ilham Aliyev gave instructions to the heads of relevant structures on urgent search for oilmen who went missing as a result of the accident in the Caspian Sea.The accident took place at about 05:00 a.m., on Dec. 15, due to strong wind, which blew away a part of a flyover of a 150-meter long oil-gathering station. A board attached to the flyover and a booth on it were also blown away.

As a result of the accident, one person died, nine others went missing.

A special commission has been set up to investigate the accident.