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Major Industrial Accident Sets Ocean on Fire, Aerial Video Looks Like Something from a Movie

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A fire on the ocean surface near Mexico that was started by a gas leak was extinguished Friday after videos of the blaze went viral.

The fire was started by a gas leak from an underwater pipeline that connects a platform at state oil company Pemex’s Ku Maloob Zaap oil development, four sources told Reuters.

The company’s most important oil development is located just north of the southern rim of the Gulf of Mexico.

The flames on the surface of the water looked like something out of the movie and was called the “eye of fire” as the fire burned west of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.

The fire burned for five hours, from 5:15 a.m. until 10:45 a.m., before it was extinguished, according to CNN.

No injuries or evacuations of the facility have been reported as of Saturday morning.

“The turbomachinery of Ku Maloob Zaap’s active production facilities were affected by an electrical storm and heavy rains,” an incident report of the incident shared with Reuters read.

Nitrogen was used to help company workers control the fire.

“The incident was dealt with immediately when the security protocols were activated and with the accompaniment of nearby firefighting vessels such as Santa Cruz Island, Campeche Bay and Bourbon Alienor,” Pemex said in a statement, according to Market Research Telecast.

Angel Carrizales, head of Mexico’s oil safety regulator ASEA, tweeted that the incident “did not generate any spill” but did not explain what was burning on the surface of the water, according to Reuters.

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The company said it would investigate the cause of the fire.

Greenpeace said that the accident shows the risks created by fossil fuel energy models.

“As part of the fossil fuel extractivist model, these are the risks that we face daily and that call for a change in the energy model,” Gustavo Ampugnani, executive director of Greenpeace Mexico, told Market Research Telecast.

Pemex has a record of major industrial accidents at its facilities, Reuters reported.

The company is also over $113 billion in debt.

The Ku Maloob Zaap complex accounts for over 40 percent of Pemex’s nearly 1.7 million barrels of daily output.

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Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




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