Obama: ‘Every resource needed’ to be devoted to responding to Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion

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Obama pledges federal help on Gulf disaster

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is ordering federal agencies to devote every resource necessary to help with the situation in the Gulf of Mexico where an oil platform exploded and sank.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama was briefed Thursday afternoon by top officials from the departments of Homeland Security and Interior, along with the Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency and others.

Gibbs said Obama made sure the entire federal government was behind the rescue and response effort. A deputy interior secretary was dispatched to the area and the National Response Team was activated.

Officials fear a massive oil spill could result from the sinking of the drilling platform about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast.