Oil rig collapses and sinks off Gabon with 115 people on board

Published: 05:15 EDT, 27 October 2026 | Updated: 05:27 EDT, 27 October 2026 One person has died, and four more are missing after an oil rig with 115 people on board collapsed and sank off the coast of Gabon. Borr Drilling's Prospector 5 rig sank late on Saturday off the coast of the central African country. An Indian national was found dead, while the remaining four missing include three Gabonese nationals and a Croatian, according to reports. The Prospector 5 rig was preparing to start offshore drilling off Gabon when it experienced a severe structural failure that caused it to sink, Borr Drilling said. 'Preliminary information indicates that the rig experienced ⁠a punch-through event during preload activities, resulting in loss of stability and the subsequent ​sinking of the rig,' the offshore drilling contractor said.Prospector 5 is located at the Dussafu Marin permit, a licence off the Gabon coast. Footage has emerged showing the drilling rig as it slowly tips over at an angle before it becomes completely submerged under the water. The video, filmed from a nearby vessel, shows the rig's staff in life jackets as they run across the deck, as lifeboats are seen drifting away in the distance from the sinking structure. Footage shows the oil rig off the coast of Gabon tipping at an angle Members of staff are seen in video putting on life jackets and running across the rig's deck Employees boarde life boats and drifted away from the rig as it collapsed Gabon President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema speaks with survivors and relatives affected by the sinking of the Borr Prospector 5 oil rig off the coast of Mayumba during a meeting in Port-Gentil, Gabon, October 26, 2026Gabon's Ministry ​of Petroleum and Gas said it had activated a crisis unit and ordered the navy to reinforce ‌search and ⁠rescue operations at sea, with helicopters and underwater equipment deployed. Petroleum and Gas Minister Clotaire Kondja said in a statement that the navy was assisting in the search and rescue operations and that the ministry had ordered a technical investigation to establish what happened. Kondja assured that no harmful substances had been observed, adding: 'The area is under continuous surveillance, and pollution-response resources remain deployed to protect the coastline and Mayumba National Park.'The crisis unit brings together the ministry, the navy, state oil company Gabon Oil, BW Energy and Borr Drilling, Kondja said.The accident occurred at approximately 9:40 ​p.m. (2040 GMT) on Saturday ​in the Dussafu Marin ⁠permit area near the Mabomont production facility, the ministry said.'We are deeply concerned for those who remain unaccounted for and everyone affected by ​this incident,' said Borr Drilling Chief Executive Bruno Morand.'Our immediate priority ​is supporting the ⁠ongoing search and rescue efforts and the welfare of all personnel involved.'