At least two crew members have been confirmed dead and one person remains missing after a Peruvian navy vessel collided with an oil platform in the Amazon River during the early hours of Friday morning.
According to a statement from Peru’s Ministry of Defence, the collision occurred at the confluence of the Napo and Amazon rivers in northern Peru and caused “severe damage”; to the navy ship, Ucayali.
The incident led to a major rescue and recovery effort, with 30 crew members rescued from the vessel. Specialised navy divers and helicopters have been deployed in the ongoing search for the missing sailor.
“The Navy of Peru deeply regrets the irreparable loss of our crew members,”; the ministry said in an official release, assuring that full support will be provided to the victims’ families.
The oil platform involved in the incident is reportedly owned by Anglo-French energy company Perenco. It remains unclear if the platform sustained damage or if any oil was released into the river.
The defence ministry has launched an investigation into the cause of the collision and said further details will be released as the probe continues.
The Amazon region, rich in biodiversity and home to numerous indigenous communities, has long been vulnerable to environmental hazards linked to oil and gas exploration.
Previous oil spills in the area have had devastating impacts on both wildlife and local populations.
In a separate incident in 2022, nearly 12,000 barrels of oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean after a tanker was struck by waves caused by a volcanic eruption in Tonga, pointing out the environmental risks associated with oil transport and infrastructure in the region.
