Relatives of a BP executive killed along with six Britons when terrorists laid siege to the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria hope an inquest will provide them with vital answers, their lawyers said.
A pre-inquest hearing into the deaths of the six Britons and UK-based Colombian Carlos Estrada takes place tomorrow in Crawley, West Sussex.
Lawyers for Mr Estrada’s family, who live in Chelsea, west London, said his relatives are still in the dark over the circumstances of his death more than a year on from the atrocity.
Forty hostages were killed at the plant in the north African country during a four-day stand-off which began on January 16 last year.
Some 29 of the hostage-takers died, while three were captured by Algerian troops during a special forces mission to end the bloodshed.
Mr Estrada had worked for BP for 18 years and had risen to the post of vice-president of non-operated assets.
He was on his first business trip to the In Amenas plant when he was taken hostage and killed during his time in captivity.
Clive Garner, of law firm Irwin Mitchell, representing Mr Estrada’s family, said: “This inquest is an opportunity to provide the vital answers that Mr Estrada’s family, and the families of other victims, desperately need.
“It is now over a year since Mr Estrada died and his family still do not know exactly what happened to him and how this tragedy occurred.
“It is hoped that the inquest will help the families who lost their loved ones understand exactly what happened so that lessons can be learnt in case of any similar incidents in future.”
A date for a full inquest has not yet been set. Tomorrow’s pre-inquest hearing will take place at Crawley Town Hall from 2pm.
The full inquest will also examine the deaths of Carson Bilsland and Kenneth Whiteside, both from Scotland, Sebastian John, from Norfolk, Stephen Green, from Hampshire, and Paul Morgan and Garry Barlow, both from Liverpool.