Three crew members on board an oil vessel that exploded last week off the coast of Nigeria have been found alive, while seven were still missing, according to the ship’s operator.

Ikemefuna Okafor, the executive officer of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL), said late on Sunday the company would ensure the survivors receive the appropriate medical attention.

Okafor added that “one dead body was discovered in the vicinity”, but it was not immediately clear if it was of a crew member.

“The identity of the dead body is yet to be ascertained,” Okafor said. Efforts to locate the remaining crew members, “clean up and limit damage to the environment, and establish the cause of the explosion” were ongoing, he added.