13 rescued in Gulf platform explosion

The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued 13 workers from a Mariner Energy production platform after an explosion and fire this morning. The platform is located about 80 miles off the Louisiana coast.

The explosion took place at about 9:30 a.m., according to a Rebecca Broussard, director of the Office of Emergency Management for Vermillion Parish, La.

In an interview with CNN, Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Colclough said there were 13 people on the rig and all were accounted for. Twelve of the workers are in immersion suits and one is injured, he said.

A Mariner spokesman said in a CNBC interview there does not appear to be any oil spilled related to the accident.

“The fire occurred away from the well...it wasn’t involved in the area where they had oil producing wells,” said Patrick Cassidy, a spokesman for Mariner.

Tom Fowler - McClatchy-Tribune