"GRAND ISLE, La. -- An offshore petroleum platform exploded and was burning Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico about 80 miles off the Louisiana coast, west of the site where BP's undersea well spilled after a rig explosion.
The Coast Guard says no one was killed in the blast, which was reported by a commercial helicopter flying over the area Thursday morning. All 13 people aboard the rig have been accounted for, with one injury. The extent of the injury was not known.
Coast Guard Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau said some of those from the rig were spotted in emergency flotation devices."
SEE ALSO:
"Rescue Boat Captain: Platform Crew Jumped in Water" (AP)
"Coast Guard Now Says No Immediate Signs of Oil Spill From Explosion" (AP)
"Owner of Oil Platform That Exploded Thursday Has Been Cited for 10 Accidents in the Gulf in Past 4 Years" (AP)
"Latest Offshore Oil Fire Touches off New Moratorium Battle, Even Though Drilling Wasn't Involved This Time" (Times-Picayune)
"10 Oil Platform Workers Being Treated at Houma Hospital" (Times-Picayune)
See Photos of Mariner Rig Fire and Rescue (Times-Picayune)
"Oil Sheen Spreading From Gulf Platform Explosion" (AP - 2:15 pm EDT)
"Oil Sheen Seen Near Damaged Platform in Gulf of Mexico" Campbell Robertson and Jack Healy report for the New York Times.
"Coast Guard: Platform Explodes in Gulf; 13 Workers Rescued -- This Just In," reported for CNN News Blogs by Mallory Simon.
"Production Rig in Gulf of Mexico Explodes; Coast Guard Rescuing Workers" (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
"Coast Guard Responding To Rig Fire Gulf of Mexico; People Reported in Water" (Times-Picayune)
"Update [12:04 pm CDT]: Crew Accounted For, No one Killed as Gulf Oil Platform Explodes" (AP)
Jindal Says Sheen Reported (CNN -- 2:03 pm EDT)
Comments