Mile-long oil slick after fresh explosion

AN oil platform exploded and caught fire yesterday off the Louisiana coast, spreading a mile-long oil sheen into the Gulf of Mexico. All 13 crew members were rescued from the water in their protective “Gumby suits”.

It was the second such disaster in the Gulf in less than five months. Coast Guard petty officer Bill Coklough said the sheen, about 100 feet wide, was spotted near the platform, 200 miles west of the site of BP’s massive spill.

Firefighting vessels were battling the flames.