BP names victims of Algeria terrorist attack

Identities of three workers confirmed. Another also thought to have died.

London – BP has officially confirmed the identities of three of its employees who were killed following the terrorist attack on the In Amenas gas facility in Algeria on 16 Jan.

Sebastian John, a 26-year-old from Nottingham, joined BP in September 2012, as a civil & structural engineer. He was a member of the BP’s graduate development programme, and had recently joined the In Amenas joint venture team. John, who was on his first trip to Algeria, was married and had a young son.

Carlos Estrada, 44, was a vice-president with BP’s Upstream Global Projects Organisation and was visiting the In Amenas site to provide expertise on BP’s interests in projects in Algeria. Originally from Colombia, he was living in London, and had worked for BP since 1995. He was married, with two young daughters.

Gordon Rowan was a well operations & engineering manager and had worked for BP and formerly ARCO since 1986. Having spent time at Algeria’s Rhourde El Baguel field, he had returned to the country to work at In Amenas after a period in China. The 58-year-old was from Oregon in the US, and had two sons.

BP said a fourth employee was also feared to have lost his life in the attack, but the company was still unable to comment on his identity. The remaining 14 BP employees who were at the In Amenas site at the time of the attack have been confirmed safe.

“This is confirmation of devastating news and our hearts go out to the families, friends, colleagues and loved ones of these men. We cannot imagine the grief of those closest to them but we know they are very much in the thoughts of so many people in BP,” said Bob Dudley, BP croup chief executive.

Dudley has also previously commented: “We are mindful that many others - from partners, contractors and other companies - have died or remain unaccounted for.”

BP has requested that people continue to respect of the privacy of the families involved.