Oil platform explodes in the Gulf of Mexico
An offshore oil platform exploded and was burning today in the Gulf of Mexico. All 13 people aboard the rig were accounted for and one was injured, said the US Coast Guard.
The rig is about 80 miles off the Louisiana coast, west of where BP's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in April, releasing millions of gallons of oil.
The Coast Guard said no one was killed in the blast, which was reported by a commercial helicopter flying over the area this morning.
Coast Guard Commander Cheri Ben-Iesau said some of those from the rig were spotted in emergency flotation devices.
Seven Coast Guard helicopters, two planes and three boats were dispatched to the scene. Authorities do not know whether oil was leaking from the site.
The Department of Homeland Security said the platform was in about 2,500 feet of water and owned by Mariner Energy of Houston. DHS said it was not producing oil and gas.
The Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP was in about 5,000 feet of water when it exploded, killing 11 workers and triggering a leak of about 206 million gallons of oil.
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Weather for Edinburgh
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
