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The death toll in the explosion on board Cidade de São Mateus FPSO, chartered by Brazilian oil major Petrobras and operated by BW Offshore, has risen from three to five people, BW Offshore confirmed.

Four people are still missing.

The explosion occurred on board the Cidade de São Mateus on Wednesday, February 11th. There were 74 workers on board when the blast occurred.

Ten people were injured in the blast and have been transferred by helicopter to receive medical care in the city of Vitória, Petrobras said.

“The remaining crew are all accounted for and receiving medical care where needed, with two in critical condition and for safety reasons, have all been taken off the unit. The next of kin have been informed and all personnel are being attended to by a special support team established by BW Offshore Brazil,” BW Offshore said in a status update.

Search and rescue operations continued into the night following the explosion onboard the FPSO on Wednesday 11 February.

“This is a tragic day, and our primary focus now is on the crew and their families. We cannot rest until the last four of our men are found. We express our gratitude to Petrobras and the Brazillian authorities for the tireless efforts in this time and wish to thank our peers and partners for their support,” said BW Offshore CEO Carl Arnet.

Brazilian oil regulator ANP said that the explosion was caused by a gas leak in one of the machinery spaces. The fire caused by the blast has been contained and the platform is under control, ANP said. No oil leak was reported.

Production has been stopped and the unit has been shut down. The FPSO is operating on the Camarupim and Camarupim Norte fields in Espirito Santo littoral approximately 120 km from the coast.