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At least 11 workers missing after rig explosion in Gulf

Posted on Apr 21, 2010

The search continues for at least 11 oil rig workers still missing after a fire and explosion aboard a platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The Associated Press reports the number could even be 15.

At least seven workers were hospitalized—two of them taken to a trauma unit in Mobile, Alabama—from the explosion that rocked the Deepwater Horizon rig 52 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana Tuesday night. The resultant fire was reportedly still burning as of Wednesday morning with no forecast given as to when it will be extinguished. The platform has a 70-degree list and threatens to topple over and sink.

The Deepwater Horizon is operated by BP and is one of 14 rigs in the Gulf and 140 worldwide that are owned by Transocean Ltd. of Houston, Texas. It set a world deepwater drilling record of 35,000 feet last September and is designed to operate in water down to 8,000 feet. Its dimensions are 396 feet by 256 feet and can accommodate a crew of 130.

According to the Coast Guard, the vast majority of the 126 workers made it safely to shore via a workboat.

A search by helicopters and boats for those missing continues in the Gulf.

A Transocean spokesperson says the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.

Source: Associated Press

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