U.S. Marks Anniversary of Rig Explosion

An explosion aboard a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, killed 11 men and forever altered the region.

One year ago today, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 men and caused the worst ecological disaster in American history. The rig sunk to the sea floor two days later, rupturing a well that would spew 780 million litres of oil into the Gulf over the next 85 days. Relatives of the 11 men who died will be flown over the site of the rig today, and vigils are planned in the states most affected by the disaster – Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Cleanup efforts continue to this day along the fragile Gulf coastline. BP has set up a $20-billion compensation fund to cover those directly affected by the disaster.

Read more: Counting the Oil Disaster’s ‘Spillionaires’