The 167 men who died in the world’s worst offshore disaster “must never be just numbers” but must be remembered as real people with “names, faces and stories”, a memorial service was told yesterday.

Families, friends and politicians attended an emotional service in Aberdeen to mark the 20th anniversary of the Piper Alpha tragedy in the North Sea. A one-minute silence was also held on all North Sea oil rigs, while on the Piper Bravo platform a wreath was placed in the sea towards the spot where the Piper Alpha stood.

About 1,200 mourners, including relatives of those killed and Alex Salmond, the First Minister, filed into the Kirk of St Nicholas in Aberdeen, where the Rev Andrew Jolly, chaplain to the UK oil and gas industry, said that the victims must not become “statistics”.

“There must always be names with faces, stories of sacrifice and of love, devotion and faith, so that what has gone on before does not become just another statistic,” he said.

“If we as a community, or as an oil and gas industry, or as a city, or as a country, allow that to happen, we should hang our heads in shame. Today here in this kirk we will remember them by name, reminding us not just who they are, but who they were and who they will always be to those who knew and loved them.”

He added: “We live in an age of numbers – how easy it becomes for many then to sum up this tragedy as a number – 167 dead. How often have you wanted to shout out ‘this is more than a number?’ These were real people. In God’s care they will never be numbers or statistics because they are and were part of his loving creation.”

As the names of each of the dead were read out to a hushed church, many wept. The Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, the Right Rev Robert Gillies, said that the disaster “cast a deep shadow over the city of Aberdeen and beyond”. He added: “The memory of that horrific tragedy has become acutely focused in the city’s thinking. But along with the sadness this will rekindle, there is also the appreciation of the way rescue, medical and pastoral services combined.”

The Piper Alpha disaster remains the world’s worst offshore accident. A major gas leak just before 10pm on July 6, 1988, was followed by fire and a series of explosions on the North Sea platform 120 miles northeast of Aberdeen. The heat ruptured a gas pipeline from another platform, triggering another massive explosion and fireball that engulfed Piper Alpha. Only 62 survived, many leaping into the sea to escape the flames.

Mr Salmond, who attended the service before going on to lay wreaths at the Piper Alpha memorial in Hazelhead Park on the outskirts of Aberdeen, said that the tragedy was “etched into the memory of everyone alive at the time”.

He added: “Most people will remember exactly where they were when the news and footage came through that revealed the extent of the conflagration.

“Out of the disaster, through Lord Cullen’s report, came a new and better safety regime for the North Sea. The fact that there were only 62 survivors makes it a very sobering thought. I hope the commemoration of the 20th anniversary provides a reminder to everyone that in these hostile, dangerous waters, safety should always be paramount. If it does, there could be no more fitting memorial to those who so tragically lost their lives.”

Ann Gillanders, whose husband, Ian, 50, died, said that she hoped the service would provide comfort to other families. “It was very emotional. It may have happened 20 years ago but most of us will never stop thinking of what happened that night,” she said.

Sheila Leggat, whose 37-year-old husband, Findlay also died, said: “It’s nice to know that not just Findlay but all the men are remembered. I would sell my soul to get him back.”

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