Blown-out well 'to be sealed by Sunday'

The US government’s incident commander for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill said today that BP’s blown-out well is expected to be permanently sealed and declared dead by Sunday, nearly five months after a rig explosion set off the disaster.

National Incident Commander Thad Allen told reporters gathered at a seafood distributor in Kenner, Louisiana, that a relief well is expected to intersect with the blown-out well within 24 hours.