Body found from US oil rig blast

THE United States (US) Coast Guard, on Saturday evening (Sunday morning in Manila), has recovered a body feared to be one of two missing Filipino workers that became casualties of the blast and fire that hit an oil platform in Louisiana.

In a statement posted in its website yesterday, the Philippine Embassy in Washington disclosed that the US Coast Guard informed the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago that divers hired to assess damage to the platform recovered the body near the incident site.

“We are hoping to receive confirmation on the identity of the body when it is brought onshore in the next few hours,” said the embassy.

Earlier, it was reported that 15 Filipinos were either hurt or missing from the explosion and fire that hit the oil platform near the Gulf of Mexico.

Of these, four of the 15 Filipinos were reportedly in critical condition while two are missing.

But according to the embassy, the number of injured Filipinos was only seven plus the two missing.

“The four injured Filipinos are being treated for serious burns at the Regional Burn Center of the Baton Rouge General Hospital also in Louisiana, where two are listed in critical condition and the other two in serious condition,” disclosed Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Cuisia.

The envoy also reported that Philippine Welfare Officer Saul de Vries will already be proceeding to Baton Rouge to check on the condition of the injured Filipino oil workers and see what assistance the Philippine Government could extend to them or their families in the Philippines.

According to Cuisia, Philippine Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim said the Consulate General in Chicago is already coordinating with US Coast Guard authorities; Grand Isle Shipyard Inc., which provides manpower; and Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations LLC, which owns the stricken platform.