The Deepwater Horizon oil rig burns Wednesday after an explossion the night before. The blast happened as the rig was doing exploratory drilling in the Gulf of Mexico more than 80 kilometres off the Louisiana shore. (Associated Press)The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for 11 workers after an explosion tore through an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
A total of 126 workers were aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig when the explosion happened Tuesday, sparking a massive fire that is still burning.
Seventeen workers were taken by air or sea to hospital and four are in critical condition, the coast guard said.
The rig is about 80 kilometres off the Louisiana coast, officials said. Two cutter ships are searching for the missing workers and an aerial search is set to resume Thursday morning.
A total of 126 workers were aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig when the explosion happened Tuesday, sparking a massive fire that is still burning.
Seventeen workers were taken by air or sea to hospital and four are in critical condition, the coast guard said.
The rig is about 80 kilometres off the Louisiana coast, officials said. Two cutter ships are searching for the missing workers and an aerial search is set to resume Thursday morning.
Rescue workers said the hope is that the missing workers made their way to fire-resistant enclosed life-rafts.
Adrian Rose, vice-president of rig owner Transocean Ltd., said the explosion appeared to be a blowout, in which natural gas or oil forces its way up a well pipe and smashes the equipment. But precisely what went wrong is still under investigation.
Crews were doing routine work before the explosion and there were no signs of trouble, Rose said.
"They did not have a lot of time to evacuate. This would have happened very rapidly," he said.
About 100 workers made it to a supply boat after Tuesday night's explosion. The workers arrived in Port Fourchon early Thursday, where they were checked by doctors.
"I've seen a lot of things, but I've never seen anything like that," said a visibly tired worker, who declined to give his name, as he got in a car to leave with a woman.
Some of the workers were greeted by family members when they arrived in the small coastal town. The rest of the survivors piled into buses and headed to New Orleans, where their families are waiting.
Since 2001, there have been 69 offshore deaths, 1,349 injuries and 858 fires and explosions in the gulf, according to the federal Minerals Management Service
Adrian Rose, vice-president of rig owner Transocean Ltd., said the explosion appeared to be a blowout, in which natural gas or oil forces its way up a well pipe and smashes the equipment. But precisely what went wrong is still under investigation.
Crews were doing routine work before the explosion and there were no signs of trouble, Rose said.
"They did not have a lot of time to evacuate. This would have happened very rapidly," he said.
About 100 workers made it to a supply boat after Tuesday night's explosion. The workers arrived in Port Fourchon early Thursday, where they were checked by doctors.
"I've seen a lot of things, but I've never seen anything like that," said a visibly tired worker, who declined to give his name, as he got in a car to leave with a woman.
Some of the workers were greeted by family members when they arrived in the small coastal town. The rest of the survivors piled into buses and headed to New Orleans, where their families are waiting.
Since 2001, there have been 69 offshore deaths, 1,349 injuries and 858 fires and explosions in the gulf, according to the federal Minerals Management Service
Courtessy: Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/04/22/louisiana-oil-rig-crwe.html#ixzz0lpLlA58Z
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