Three bodies were recovered from the submerged wreckage of the Prospector 5 oil rig, which collapsed off the coast of Gabon on Saturday evening, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The drilling platform sank following a significant structural failure while operating in the southern waters of the central African nation.

The Prospector 5, managed by Bermuda-based Borr Drilling, had 115 people on board at the time of the incident. Five individuals remain unaccounted for, including three Gabonese nationals and one Croatian citizen. Earlier in the week, Gabonese officials confirmed the death of an Indian national based on survivor accounts, although the body had not been recovered.

Charles Hubert Bekale-Meyong, the Gabonese naval officer overseeing the search-and-rescue mission, announced the discovery during a broadcast on the state-run channel Gabon24. He attributed the recovery to the use of underwater robots, which located the bodies inside the submerged rig. However, he noted that the visual data obtained so far has been insufficient to conclusively identify the recovered remains.

Preparations are underway to retrieve the bodies from the wreckage to allow for formal identification. It remains uncertain whether the Indian national previously declared deceased is among the bodies found.

The Prospector 5 had been preparing to commence a fossil fuel extraction campaign when the platform suffered the catastrophic failure leading to its sinking. Search and recovery efforts are ongoing as authorities work to account for all personnel involved in the tragedy.