Oil spill fears after US rig sinks
An offshore oil rig where fired raged for more than 24 hours following a massive explosion, has sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig's sinking on Thursday raised fears of a major oil spill and dimmed hopes of finding alive 11 workers who are still missing after the blast. There are fears that more than 1.2 million litres of crude oil a day could pour into the water after the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon, a spill that could reach the coast of the US state of Louisiana, about 80km away. The rig was doing exploratory drilling off Louisiana when the explosion and fire occurred, sending a column of black smoke hundreds of metres in the air. Oil giant BP, which contracted the rig, said it has mobilised four aircraft that can spread chemicals to break up the oil and 32 vessels, including a big storage barge to suck up oil from the water. "It certainly has the potential to be a major spill," Dave Rainey, BP's vice-president for the Gulf of Mexico, said. Examiner: Earth Day deadly tragedy: Flaming oil rig sinks in Gulf of Mexico; 11 workers missing.