An oil and gas rig off the coast of Louisiana was hit by an explosion and fire this morning, leaving at least two crew members missing and possibly as many as 15, Coast Guard officials said.
Eleven other crew members were flown to hospitals, and four of them are listed in critical condition.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that a Black Elk Energy Co. oil and natural gas platform had some sort of explosion in the gulf, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky and an oil sheen spreading over the water.
At least two people are missing and "probably overboard," according to Coast Guard spokesman Carlos Vegas. But that number could rise because as many as 15 people are still unaccounted for, the Coast Guard said.
Pamela Garrie Kibodeaux/KATC
Among the injured were four who were airlifted for medical treatment to the West Jefferson Medical Center, where they are in critical condition after suffering serious burns. All four are intubated and will be evacuated to Baton Rouge Burn Center when they are stabilized, according to West Jefferson spokesman Taslin Alfonzo.
Eleven other individuals were transported to the hospital for treatment. There were between 26 and 28 people on board at the time of the explosion, according to the Coast Guard.
The platform was located about 20 nautical miles southeast of Grand Isle, La., when the explosion happened, Vega said.
The fire at the rig has been put out, but an oil sheen has spread over more than a 2-mile area on the water, the Coast Guard said.
The Louisiana governor's office said that the rig was non-producing, and the explosion occurred during some kind of maintenance work happening aboard the platform.
The explosion and fire comes the day after BP agreed to a $4 billion settlement for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion in the gulf, triggering the worst offshore oil spill in the country's history.
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