Peru: Two dead after navy ship hits Amazon River oil platform

A Peruvian navy vessel has collided with an oil platform in the Amazon River, killing at least two people and leaving one missing.

The collision happened in the early hours of Friday morning at the junction of the Napo and Amazon rivers, causing “severe damage”, Peru’s defence ministry said.

Thirty crew members were rescued from the vessel, with specialised diving teams and helicopters deployed as part of the search operation, the statement added.

It is not clear if the platform, owned by Anglo-French company Perenco, was damaged or whether oil has leaked into the river. The Peruvian defence ministry said it was investigating the cause of collision.

“Peru’s Navy deeply regrets the irreparable loss of our crew members,” the defence ministry said, adding that it would provide assistance to their loved ones.

The ministry said the vessel, called Ucayali, hit the platform while it was navigating near the mouth of the Napo River in northern Peru. BBC News has approached Perenco for comment.

There are hundreds of gas and oil blocks in areas of Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador covered by the Amazon rainforest. Spills in the region have had a devastating impact on indigenous communities and local wildlife.

In 2022, the Peruvian government said almost 12,000 barrels of oil had leaked into the sea after a tanker was hit by waves linked to a volcanic eruption on Tonga.