India's oil minister says at least three workers are confirmed dead and 45 others are missing following a major fire at an oil drilling platform off India's west coast.
Mani Shankar Aiyar told reporters in New Delhi late Wednesday the cause of the fire was not known. It completely engulfed the offshore facility owned by the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
He said there were 385 people on the platform, located 160 kilometers off Bombay, also known as Mumbai, when the fire started. The facility produces 15 percent of India's total output.
Coast guard officials said earlier at least 270 workers had been rescued from the blazing site, and that some managed to escape to a nearby platform.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.