Oil rig off UK evacuated after alert

LONDON – Hundreds of workers were being evacuated from an oil rig in the North Sea following an apparent bomb scare Sunday.

A fleet of 14 military and coast guard helicopters was evacuating 539 workers from the Safe Scandinavia rig, 170 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, eastern Scotland, following a security alert, the Ministry of Defense said.


A bomb disposal team was put on standby at the request of Scottish police, a defense ministry spokesman said.

“This is not a fire, escape of gas, anything like that. It’s just precautionary measures being put in place,” the Royal Air Force said in a statement. Employees were being taken by helicopter to other rigs in the North Sea.

AP