KIELLAND-NETTVERKET

Alexander Kielland disaster March 27 1980

On March 27, 1980, the oil platform “Alexander L. Kielland” capsized. This was the largest industrial accident in Norwegian history, 123 people died, of whom 30 were never found and 89 survived with physical and/or mental injuries. Several hundred children lost their father.

Facts about the Alexander L. Kielland accident:

123 died 89 survived.

Alexander L. The Kielland platform sank at a depth of 700 meters in the Nedstrandsfjorden on November 18, 1983.

The Kielland disaster occurred on March 27, 1980, on the Ekofisk field in the North Sea. One of the rig's five legs fell off, and after only 20 minutes the platform was upside down in rough seas. 123 people lost their lives and 89 survivors were marked for life. 30 of the dead were never found.

PRESS RELEASE

19th of Juni 2026

The Kielland Network Cancels

The support group for the victims of the Alexander L. Kielland disaster receives no government funding for its operations, despite the fact that the conclusions of a study commissioned and funded by the Norwegian Parliament itself recommended such support. Recently, the group was forced to cancel all gatherings and events.

NKVTS (the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies) conducted a study a few years ago on the health and quality of life of the Kielland victims, funded by the Norwegian Parliament itself. The conclusion was that, even today, their health and quality of life are poorer than those of the general population.

The study recommended that the Kielland Network Support Group should be given the resources needed to organize gatherings for the victims. None of those affected—the survivors, the children, the widows, or the parents—received any help at all in dealing with their trauma, and in 2021 the Norwegian Parliament unanimously expressed its regret over this failure. A formal letter of apology was even sent to the victims by the President of the Storting (Parliament). But that was all.

“Fortunately, there is now a greater understanding of how such disasters can affect both the victims and their families, even many years later,” continues Aase Anker.

Based on current knowledge, she supports both the conclusions of the NKVTS study and the Kielland Network’s position regarding the need for assistance in organizing gatherings where those affected can share their experiences, make sense of what happened, and experience support, understanding, and a sense of community.

“We in the Kielland Network Support Group know our members and are therefore best placed to facilitate support through gatherings and meetings. However, this requires the authorities to show political will and provide the financial support that is needed,” says Åse Kringlebotn, Board Member responsible for member relations in the Kielland Network Support Group.

“We had invited the survivors, the widows, and the children to a gathering this autumn. Unfortunately, we had to cancel it because no one was willing to provide financial support,” Kringlebotn continues.

“Mental health professionals had been engaged to facilitate discussions in small groups, and many of the British Kielland victims had already purchased airline tickets. We truly believed that, at last, we would receive support through the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s grant schemes. We have applied for funding there several years in a row and have even appealed the decisions to the Ministry of Health and Care Services. Yet once again, our application was rejected.”

“We have also applied for funding from several government ministries, major oil companies, municipalities, and county authorities. We have had to launch a crowdfunding campaign and register as a beneficiary of the Norwegian Tipping grassroots donation scheme. However, all of this amounts to little more than small change, barely enough to enable some members of our board to travel to Parliament and continue the fight for the Kielland victims.The Alexander L. Kielland disaster remains the largest catastrophe in Norwegian history, and it is unworthy that no one in our wealthy country is willing to provide support to the people who were so severely affected. Given that Norway’s immense oil wealth was built, in part, on the shoulders of the oil workers who were killed or injured, this is a great national shame,” concludes Åse Kringlebotn.

Facts About the Alexander L. Kielland Disaster:

• On 27 March 1980, the Alexander L. Kielland accommodation platform capsized in heavy seas in the North Sea
• The Kielland platform had never been approved as an accommodation rig, and a number of serious failures occurred, including shortcomings related to safety, regulations, and inspection controls
• It has been established, including through two reviews by the Office of the Auditor General of Norway, that the state bore a significant share of the responsibility for the circumstances that allowed the disaster to occur
• 123 young men lost their lives, while 89 survived, many carrying lifelong physical and psychological scars
• Between 300 and 400 children lost their father
• None of those affected—the survivors, the children, the widows, or the parents—received any support from society at large
• This was despite the fact that, even at the time, there was knowledge of the need for psychological crisis intervention, and despite a team of professionals being ready to travel to assist those affected the very day after the disaster
• However, the Ministry of Social Affairs in the Labour Party government decided not to proceed with such support
• The 2024 NKVTS report concludes that Kielland victims still have significantly poorer health and quality of life than the general population
• NKVTS recommends that the Kielland Network Support Group should be enabled to organize gatherings for those affected
• Link to the NKVTS report:
  

  https://www.nkvts.no/rapport/studie-om-overlevende-og-prorende-etter-alexander-l-kielland-ulykken/