Coast Guard retracts statement about 2nd explosion on oil rig, says only 1 blast occurred

By AP
Thursday, April 22, 2010

Coast Guard now says just 1 blast on oil rig

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard has retracted its statement that a second explosion occurred on an oil platform that sank off the Louisiana coast.

Petty Officer Tom Atkeson says a computer time-stamp problem created a mistaken impression that a crew member reported an initial explosion three hours before the rig went up in flames Tuesday.

Atkeson and two other spokesmen, including Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Mike O’Berry were mistaken when they told The Associated Press that crew members reported the first blast at 7 p.m. CDT.

He says only one report was sent and that was at 10 p.m. Central.

Eds: APNewsNow. CORRECTS that Coast Guard retracts statement about second explosion; only one explosion on doomed drilling rig. Multimedia: An interactive timeline exploring some of the most deadly oil rig accidents the last 50 years is available in the —national/oil_rig_accidents folder. Moving on general news and financial services. AP Video.

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