Oil Rig Explodes in Gulf of Mexico; 2 Dead, Others Hospitalized

Miguel Llanos and Elizabeth Chuck
NBC News
November 16, 2012

Two workers were missing and 11 were airlifted to hospitals Friday after an explosion and fire aboard an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Earlier reports from local officials said two workers had died, but the Coast Guard could not confirm that.

Rescue crews searched the Gulf some 17 miles southeast of Grand Isle, La., for the missing workers. At least four of the injured are in critical condition, according to Jefferson Parish Emergency Management.

The fire was later extinguished, Coast Guard Capt. Ed Cubanski told reporters, and the platform appears to be structurally sound. Twenty-two people had been aboard the rig at the time of the accident.

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This article was posted: Friday, November 16, 2012 at 2:29 pm

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