Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes
September 2, 2010
NEW ORLEANS — An offshore oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday morning, injuring one worker, the United States Coast Guard said. The rig was located just west of where another rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board on Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said. News reports said there was smoke rising from the platform, but it was unclear whether the rig was actively burning or in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any underground oil leaks. Several helicopters, airplanes and boats were speeding to the scene of the explosion, south…
