Louisiana Oil Rig Explosion On Lake Pontchartrain Leaves 7 Hurt, One Missing

KENNER, LA — An oil rig explosion Sunday evening on Lake Pontchartrain near Kenner left seven people hurt — five critically — and authorities are looking for another person. More injuries are expected in the blast, which was apparently sparked by cleaning chemicals, Kenner Police Department spokesman Sgt. Brian McGregor told The Times-Picayune.

Five people were hospitalized with "blast-type injuries and burns" said Mike Guillot, director of East Jefferson Emergency Medical Services. No deaths were immediately reported.

"Authorities on the scene report that cleaning chemicals ignited on the surface of the oil rig platform," the City of Kenner Government posted on its Facebook page Sunday evening. (For more information on the oil rig explosion and other Kenner stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Watch: Crews Still Looking For Man After Oil Rig Blast

As dawn broke Monday, U.S. Coast Guard crews hoped to get a helicopter into the air to help in the ongoing search for the missing man, Petty Officer Lexie Preston said. The helicopter crew would also try to spot any pollution from the air, if there is any, she said.

Reports of fire and smoke being seen from Lake Pontchartrain came into the Emergency Operations center around 7:15 p.m., Jefferson Parish spokesman Antwan Harris said in a news release Sunday night.

Clovelly Oil Co. owns the platform that is in production, said Taylor Darden, a lawyer for the company who is listed as its registered agent with the Louisiana Secretary of State.

The platform, located in Jefferson Parish, is used for the transfer of oil, said Chief David Tibbets of the East Bank Consolidated Fire Department. He said the department's current goal is to stop oil flow and, if needed, let it burn off safely.

Authorities acknowledged there was a possibility that the fire meant oil could be leaking into the lake but noted that Jefferson Parish drinking water will remain safe because it is pulled from the Mississippi River.

People on social media said they heard a loud noise that rattled some homes.

Andrew Love, 32, told the newspaper he was inside his house about 10 blocks away when he heard the explosion. "My house actually shook," he said. "At first I thought it was a sonic boom or something, I had no idea what was happening."

Flames could be seen from the area, and the air smelled of burning rubber, according to the newspaper.

The Coast Guard will be conducting a water quality evaluation as well as the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.

RAW: Injuries Reported In Louisiana Oil Rig Blast

Photos credit: Matthew Hinton/The Advocate via AP; Chris Granger/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP