UPDATE: The Coast Guard is now burning off the oil from the spill in an attempt to minimize the damage to the environment.
The Coast Guard is engaged in a search and rescue mission, looking for workers still missing after the MODU Deepwater Horizon, a deep-water oil drilling, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast. Seven people were critically injured.
The explosion took place at around 10 p.m. last night (Tuesday). Rescue units are currently searching the area for those who are missing while fire crews try to extinguish the blaze.
There were 126 people aboard the Deepwater Horizon at the time of the massive explosion. The rig operates 52 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana and is operated by Transocean, the world’s largest offshore drilling contractor.
The company says that emergency response teams are working with the Coast Guard and lease operator BP Exploration & Production in a coordinated effort. The names of those injured in the explosion are being withheld until family members can be notified.
Transocean is the world’s largest offshore drilling contractor and the leading provider of drilling management services worldwide.
See video coverage of the explosion below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlcaQfWnclk
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