Oil rig explodes in Gulf-near Vermillion Bay [View All]

Source: CNN and WWLTV

Now breaking on CNN

On a tweet:

Oil rig explosion in Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana has injured dozens of people, CBS affiliate in New Orleans reports.

On edit:

Coast Guard reporting rig incident south of Vermillion Bay

by WWLTV.com

wwltv.com

Posted on September 2, 2010 at 10:09 AM

Updated today at 10:23 AM

The Coast Guard is responding to a reported rig incident south of Vermillion Bay.

A Coast Guard spokesman said that 13 people were on the rig and that 12 have been accounted for at this time.

Rescue choppers from New Orleans and Houston responded to the scene

U.S. Coast Guard Reports Oil Rig On Fire Some 90 Miles South Of Louisiana

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman tells CNN that an offshore oil rig, Vermilion Oil Rig 380, owned by Mariner Energy, is on fire, some 90 miles south of Vermilion Bay.

He said there were 13 people aboard the rig. All of them have been accounted for. Twelve of them have been placed in immersion suits.

Eight Coast Guard rescue helicopters have been dispatched to the rig location. In addition, three Coast Guard cutters — Decisive, Manta and Skip Jack — are en route, with four civilian vessels.

According to The Associated Press, "the Coast Guard is responding to an explosion involving an offshore petroleum structure in the Gulf of Mexico."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/02/129602743/offshore-oil-rig-on-fire-off-the-coast-of-louisiana-u-s-coast-guard-reports

Read more: http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Coast-Guard-reporting-rig-explosion-south-of-Grand-Isle-102065593.html