Deepwater Horizon | Oil Rig Explosion: 11 People Are Missing On Hot Topics --- Deepwater Horizon | Oil Rig Explosion: 11 People Are Missing . From Deepwater Horizon reported, a massive oil rig explosion off the coast of Louisiana left seven workers critically injured and at least 11 others missing. The explosion happened about 50 miles southeast of Venice around 10 p.m. on a rig called Deepwater Horizon. The fire continues to burn.
Helicopters, ships and an airplane searched waters off Louisiana's coast Wednesday for at least 11 workers missing after an explosion and fire that left an offshore drilling platform tilting in the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the 126 people were believed to have escaped safely after the explosion on the rig Deepwater Horizon at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Mike O'Berry said. The rig, about 52 miles southeast of Venice on Louisiana's tip, was listing about 10 degrees and still burning Wednesday morning.
Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Mike O'Berry said 126 workers were aboard when the explosion happened. He said the seven workers were airlifted to a Naval air station near New Orleans, then taken to hospitals. Two of the seven were taken to a burn unit in Mobile, Alabama.
The rig was drilling but was not in production, according to Greg Panagos, spokesman for its owner, Transocean Ltd., in Houston. The rig was under contract to BP PLC. BP spokesman Darren Beaudo said all BP personnel were safe but he didn't know how many BP workers had been on the rig.
Kerver said the Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service will work together to investigate possible causes of the accident.
"It's still too early to tell the cause," Panagos said. "Our focus right now is on taking care of the people."
Tags: deepwater horizon, rigzone, transocean
Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Mike O'Berry said 126 workers were aboard when the explosion happened. He said the seven workers were airlifted to a Naval air station near New Orleans, then taken to hospitals. Two of the seven were taken to a burn unit in Mobile, Alabama.
The rig was drilling but was not in production, according to Greg Panagos, spokesman for its owner, Transocean Ltd., in Houston. The rig was under contract to BP PLC. BP spokesman Darren Beaudo said all BP personnel were safe but he didn't know how many BP workers had been on the rig.
Kerver said the Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service will work together to investigate possible causes of the accident.
"It's still too early to tell the cause," Panagos said. "Our focus right now is on taking care of the people."
Tags: deepwater horizon, rigzone, transocean
