A mile-long oil sheen has been spotted on top of the Gulf of Mexico after a rig exploded, the Coast Guard said Thursday.
But Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says reports of the sheen have been not confirmed by a flyover.
The Mariner Energy platform was not producing oil at the time of the blast. The force of the blast sent 13 people into the water, where they were later rescued.
One worker suffered injuries, the extent of which are not currently known.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Casey Ranel told the Associated Press the
blast was reported by a commercial helicopter company around 9:30am CDT
(10:30am in Toronto).
The explosion happened south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast.
The Coast Guard says it's just west of the BP rig that exploded earlier this year, killing 11 people.
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