Oil Rig Explosion Kills 4 in Gulf of Mexico - East Idaho News
World

Oil Rig Explosion Kills 4 in Gulf of Mexico

  Published at

Getty 040115 Explosion?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1427919717297iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — An explosion and ensuing fire on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico today left four dead and injured 45 others, according to the Pemex oil company.

Pemex, a Mexican state-run oil company, said 300 workers were evacuated after the fire broke out on their Abkatun Permanente plaform.

Pemex said in a statement Wednesday night that no spill occurred. “The fire that broke today at the Abkatun processing platform in Campeche did not cause an oil spill in the sea. Authorities only registered a runoff, which is being contained by specialised vessels,” Pemex said.

Among those killed was a contractor for the Mexican oil services company, Cotemar, according to Pemex.

Currently, there are eight fireboats fighting the blaze, according to Pemex.

It is unclear how much fuel might have leaked into the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the incident.

Pemex has dealt with multiple deadly accidents in recent years, including a 2013 blast at the company headquarters that killed 37 people. In 2012, a fire at a natural gas facility killed 26.


World News Videos | US News Videos


Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

SUBMIT A CORRECTION