At least 3 killed in Petrobras rig blast in Brazil

At least three people were killed and 15 others injured in an explosion on Wednesday at an offshore oil and natural gas platform in southeastern Brazil, local media reported.

According to the authorities, the accident occurred at a platform operated by the state-run energy giant Petrobras, located off the coast of Espirito Santo state, about 600 km northeast of Rio de Janeiro.

The blast was caused by a gas leak in the engine room of the platform, said the Unified Oilworkers Federation

Petrobras has been mired in scandal since investigators revealed late last year that construction and supply firms had been paying high-level executives kickbacks in exchange for major contracts.

The scandal has hurt the company's finances, with rating agencies Moody's and Fitch downgrading Petrobras' credit rating. Endi