Oil rig explosion at Deepwater Horizon launched a column of fire into the sky and triggered a frantic search on Wednesday in the sea of at least 11 missing workers.
The blast happened Tuesday night at the facility located 84 kilometers (52 miles) southeast of the city of Venice, Louisiana. On the platform were 126 workers at the time of the blast, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Mike O'Berry.
Almost all the 126 workers Deepwater Horizon platform apparently escaped unharmed after the oil rig explosion, said the officer. The platform was still burning on Wednesday morning and was skewed about 10 degrees. "We hope that all are in a life raft," said O'Berry.
However, the Coast Guard said Wednesday that seven workers suffered extensive injuries and their condition is critical. O'Berry said many of the workers who escaped were taken ashore in a boat owned.
When the oil rig explosion occurred, the deepwater horizon was drilling but not removing, according to Greg Panagos, a spokesman for the company owner, Transocean Ltd., of Houston.
The platform was working under contract with the British company BP PLC. BP spokesman Darren Beaudo said BP's entire staff was safe but did not know the number of company employees working on deepwater horizon. "For now we are focused on care staff," insisted the spokesman.
O'Berry said several teams in the environment of the Coast Guard were prepared to
assess potential pollution damages a fish that were smothered the fire. The officer said four helicopters, four Coast Guard vessels and aircraft involved in Wednesday's search for the missing. There were no reports of death, followed O'Berry.
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