Madar (Libreville) - Gabonese authorities said three bodies had been found inside the Prospector 5 oil rig that sank off Mayumba in the south of the country, with two people still missing, according to an updated toll released overnight into Thursday, October 29, 2026, Africanews reported, citing AFP.
Gabonese Navy Chief of Staff Charles Hubert Bekale-Meyong said underwater robots located the three bodies inside the submerged platform on Wednesday. The images did not allow them to be identified, and rescue teams were preparing to recover them.
The rig sank on Saturday evening after a serious structural failure with 115 people on board. It was taking part in preparations for a planned drilling campaign, according to the same source.
According to the toll broadcast by public broadcaster Gabon24, 110 people were found safe and five were initially missing: one Indian, three Gabonese and one Croatian national. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday the death of the Indian national, whose body had not been recovered.
Petroleum Minister Clotaire Kondja ordered a technical investigation on Sunday into the causes of the accident and responsibilities.
