Natural gas rig in Gulf of Mexico evacuated after blowout

GRAND ISLE, La., July 23 (UPI) -- Forty-four workers were safely evacuated after a natural gas rig blowout Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The incident occurred about 9:30 a.m. on the Hercules No. 265 rig located 40 miles southwest of Grand Isle, La., The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported. Workers loaded into two lifeboats and then boarded a supply vessel and headed for shore, Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Colclough said.

The cause of the blowout was under investigation.