LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The families of two BP employees killed in the 2013 In Amenas gas plant attack inAlgeria have filed a lawsuit in London's High Court against thecompany, accusing it of failing to take reasonable steps toprotect its workers.
BP, one of three partners with Norway's Statoil andAlgeria's Sonatrach in the In Amenas joint venture plant, saidit understood proceedings against certain BP entities had beenissued in the London court.
"BP remains deeply saddened by the tragic events at InAmenas ... It is the terrorists who are responsible for thedeaths and injuries that occurred because of the attack," aspokesman said.
The Islamist militants' attack on the plant in January 2013killed 40 people, most of them foreign nationals.
"Our clients have now commenced court proceedings to helpthem secure the justice they seek following the deaths of Carlosand Sebastian," said Clive Garner, leading the case at law firmIrwin Mitchell on behalf of the families of BP employees CarlosEstrada Valencia, 44, and Sebastian John, 26, who were bothkilled during the attack.
In February last year an inquest criticised BP and its jointventure partners over security at the plant, where armed guardsmeant to protect the facility were stationed 1 kilometre awayfrom the site and the entrance gates to the accommodationcompound were found to have been left open.
BP said several of its entities are facing similar civilclaims in the Texas state court that were brought by individualsinjured in the incident and some families of workers killed.
The London court case was filed last week and a trial couldbe more than a year away, a spokesman for Irwin Mitchell said. (Reporting by Karolin Schaps; Editing by Greg Mahlich)