11 maritime workers have been injured in a fire on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, report local news agencies. There have been conflicting reports about the death toll in the incident, with some sources claiming that more workers may have been killed in the incident, and two people are still missing from the scene and feared dead. According to US Today, earlier reports that two people were confirmed dead were incorrect.
The 11 injured crew men were air lifted from the scene of the accident by helicopter and were taken to local hospitals in Louisiana, where they remain in a critical condition.
According to the executive director of Port Fourchon, the main service port for oil rigs in the region, an explosion occurred early on Friday morning off the coast of Louisiana on an oil rig situated near a shallow water well. A coast guard spokesperson has said that they are not able to confirm the exact number of people who were injured in the incident yet. However, they did confirm that two workers are still missing from the scene and the Coast Guard has launched a search operation to find them.
According to one source, the injured men suffered severe second and third degree burns over large portions of their bodies, and are being treated in a burn unit at West Jefferson Medical Center. Official reports state that the fire began at around 9am on the 16th of November. Emergency personnel responded to the rig’s distress call and extinguished the fire by 11am.
The coast guard has not yet confirmed whether the explosion led to any oil leaking into the waters of the Gulf Coast. According to a spokesperson from the Coast Guard, the initial priority is to locate the missing workers, after which time the possibility of ecological damage to the marine environment will be assessed. However the coast guard has received a report from environmental watch dogs saying that a dark sheen is visible under the surface of the water surrounding the rig.
26 workers were on board the rig performing maintenance duties when the explosion occurred. Although the exact cause of the explosion is not yet clear, some news reports say that the workers may have cut into an oil pipe while performing maintenance.
The rig was operated by Black Elk Energy, who have closed their website in the wake of the incident but have extended their regret to those who were affected by the explosion.
