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Oil Rig On Fire In Gulf Of Mexico

Posted at 12:05 PM, Nov 16, 2012
and last updated 2012-11-16 12:25:07-05

(CNN) —

An oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico caught fire after an explosion Friday, leaving at least four injured and two missing, authorities said.

The rig is a production platform, not a drilling facility.

The injured are in critical condition and were taken to West Jefferson Medical Center in Louisiana, center spokeswoman Taslin Alfonzo said.

They are expected to be transferred to the Baton Rouge General Burn Center, she said.

The fire has been put out, Coast Guard Petty Officer Bobby Nash told CNN affiliate WVUE.

The incident comes one day after the Justice Department announced that BP oil company will plead guilty to manslaughter charges stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The London-based oil giant has agreed to pay $4.5 billion in government penalties.

(File photo from BP oil rig fire)