Norway's parliament has approved a compensation scheme for families of the 123 victims of the 1980 Alexander L Kielland oil rig disaster. This decision comes after a long struggle for justice spanning over four decades. The disaster, caused by a structural failure amidst harsh weather, raised critical safety concerns within the oil industry, leading to significant regulatory changes. Investigations revealed lapses in safety procedures and negligence on the part of various stakeholders, including the Norwegian state, which has now acknowledged its responsibility in the matter.
The fatigue failure itself could also have been discovered if normal audit requirements had been met and exemptions had not been granted. This was the state's responsibility.
This is a historic day, the end of more than four decades of fighting for justice, said Mimir Kristjansson, an MP from the leftwing Red party.
The disaster led to major changes in safety routines and regulations in the oil industry, but a report by experts at the University of Stavanger concluded the Norwegian authorities' actions before and after the collapse were seriously flawed.
This incident became a disaster because of a long chain of negligence, omissions and violations of rules designed precisely to prevent an accident becoming a disaster.
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