deepwater horizon

Seven workers were reported critically injured, Coast Guard Lt. Sue Kerver said. Two were taken to a trauma center in Mobile, Ala., where there is a burn unit, but the nature of their injuries was unclear, she said. At least two were taken to a suburban New Orleans hospital.

The Deepwater Horizon is on fire and the flames are 200' tall. All personnel have abandon ship.

Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser confirms that an explosion has occurred at a Trans-Ocean Atlantic Oil Rig off the coast of Venice. The rig named "Deep Water Horizon" is still on fire and the U.S. Coast Guard is on the scene pulling workers off the platform and out of the water surrounding the rig. 8 workers have been critically injured in the blast and are now being airlifted to a local hospital. 120 people were on board at the time of the explosion.

We are 10 miles away, but we are stuck on an anchor and ccan not assist. This happened @ 2145. Ten minutes after the mayday, they abandoned ship and the flames were at least 200' tall. It's still raging and it's 0130 in the morning now. I called Transocean when it happened and they were not aware, but the Coast Guard just called them, I updated them. So, I gave them my assessment. Several vessels are conducting search patterns at this time. The head count on the rig was reported to be 129, but there has not been a hard count on the radio. We are going to the location within the hour.

I work for local EMS agency in New Orleans metro area. They have ambulances staged at various locations awaiting possible patients being tranported from Plaqumines Parish. I know that there were supposedly 8 critically injured....if they are being flown in they will probably be brought to West Jeff, Ochsner Main Campus on Jefferson Hwy and East Jefferson General because they all have heliports. And I think there may be one downtown near University Hospital....If I find out anything else I'll post again.