At 2:24 AM (local time) on 21 April 2010, NOAA was notified of an explosion and fire on a deepwater semisubmersible drilling platform some 50 miles SE of the Mississippi Delta. The incident on the DEEPWATER HORIZON occurred at approximately 11:00 PM on 20 April (a little more than three hours earlier) with more than 120 crew reported aboard. The rig is still on fire, has been evacuated, and USCG Search and Rescue (SAR) operations are continuing. A secondary concern is the estimated 27,800 bbls (over a million gallons) of #2 Fuel Oil or Marine Diesel Fuel reported onboard. The USCG has requested trajectory support.

According to the Minerals Management Serive, since 2001, there have been 69 offshore deaths, 1,349 injuries and 858 fires and explosions in the Gulf. Howeverm the MMS did not break down the cause of the deaths, the severity of the injuries, or the size of the fires and explosions.

For more on the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig off the coast of Louisiana, please visit MSNBC.com.