‘Inhumane’ BP slammed by Algerian attack widow

THe response by BP after a gas plant terror attack that left six Britons dead has been “inhumane to the extreme”, a widow of one victim has claimed.

Garry Barlow, 49, from Liverpool, died during a siege by armed terrorists at the In Amenas plant in Algeria, part of a joint venture including BP.

Nearly six months on, his widow, Lorraine, said she still has no idea how her husband was killed and she called for a full investigation.

Mrs Barlow said that one of the most upsetting moments of the four-day siege was watching Prime Minister David Cameron use a television address to warn the nation to prepare for bad news, as she had been given no prior warning.

Asked if BP had done enough to address her concerns in the aftermath of the incident, she said: “Not at all – quite the reverse. I’ve been shocked by BP. I expected a lot more of any company with the name British in its title, frankly.”

Some 40 hostages were killed at In Amenas, along with 29 of the hostage-takers.

In a statement, BP said: “The terrorist attack at In Amenas was an unprecedented and horrific criminal terrorist act which has profoundly impacted the lives of many people.

“Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families of all those who were killed.

“The In Amenas plant is run by a joint venture (JV) between Sonatrach (the national oil company of Algeria), BP and Statoil. The JV has its own management and operates independently.

“Some personnel are ‘seconded’ by the shareholders to the JV, which also engages contractors and international agency personnel directly, including through Garry Barlow’s Swiss employer IOTA.”

The company said it was “cooperating fully” with a police investigation into the attack.