One Dead And One Missing In Gulf Coast Oil Tanker Fire: Updated (Video)

ARANSAS PASS, TX — 6:17 p.m. — The oil tanker fire in the Gulf Coast that took one life has been extinguished. The United States Coast Guard reports the fire resulted in a "containable" oil spill, according to KRIS Corpus Christi News.

10:54 a.m. — An Aransas Pass City official told KRIS that one worker on the oil tanker has been confirmed dead. Another worker is still missing.

10:07 a.m. — Six workers have been removed to safety, but two remain unaccounted for in an oil tanker fire that occurred in the Gulf Coast on Friday morning. Rockport Police have confirmed the fire on the tanker, and The Coast Guard is currently evaluating ways to fight the fire. The tanker was carrying 140,000 barrels of crude oil.

KRIS Corpus Christi News reports:

Residents of the Rockport area were shaken awake by some type of explosion around 4:30 Friday morning.
The Rockport police department has confirmed that the Coast Guard is working a tanker on fire offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, near Aransas Pass. The ocean-going tanker, carrying 140,000 barrels of crude oil, was waiting to cross the sand bar with assistance from a tug boat when the incident occurred.
The Coast Guard says six crew members have been pulled away safely and two crew members are currently unaccounted for at this time.
Currently the fire is still burning and safety zone has been set up around barge. No traffic is being allowed in or out of the area at this time. » more via KRIS Corpus Christi

Reports of an explosion have not been confirmed.

Image via Pixabay/Dimitris Vetsikas