British laborer found dead in pipe

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: The body of a British worker was found yesterday morning in a gas pipe off the coast of East Kalimantan, Antara reported.

Graham Robertson Henry Weir, 36, who worked for marine construction firm PT McDermott Indonesia, was last seen leaving with three colleagues to weld a gas pipe on Bontang Island, East Kalimantan, Monday.

The one-meter-wide pipe is located six miles off the Santan Unocal terminal in the Bontang oil and gas field.

Local police and coast guard patrols launched a search operation Tuesday to find the man, said chief of the Bontang police Lt. Col. Syamsurizal.

Officials from the American-Indonesian joint venture PT McDermott Indonesia declined to give details of the death.

The British embassy told AFP yesterday they had been notified the man was missing. Officials were unavailable to confirm the death. (swe)