An offshore oil platform caught fire  in the Gunashli oilfield in the Azerbaijan section of the Caspian Sea. The fire started after strong winds had damaged a gas pipeline on the platform.  Some 32 crew were rescued even as bad weather has made rescue operations difficult. Weather in the area has strong winds and waves reaching up to 10 meters.

Conflicting reports state the number of  crew on board the platform at the time of the fire. Numbers vary between 63 to 75 crew who were on board.  Rescuers did recover 1 person who was killed in the fire, but the remaining crew were still reported as missing.