Relative: Boat with 100 survivors of La. oil rig blast reaches shore; search on for 11 missing

Boat with survivors of oil rig blast reaches shore

PORT FOURCHON, La. — A relative says a boat carrying 100 survivors of an oil drilling platform blast off the Louisiana coast has arrived on shore.

Dana Eugene says her brother, Kevin Eugene, is among those aboard. She says before the workers can be reunited with waiting families, they must be checked out by doctors in Port Fourchon, where the boat docked.

She says about five or six families are waiting in the coastal town. The workers then are expected to be taken to a hotel about 70 miles north to a hotel in suburban New Orleans where more families are waiting.

Officials from rig owner Transocean Ltd. would not comment.

Coast Guard rescuers are searching for signs of the 11 unaccounted for since the thunderous blast rocked the Deepwater Horizon late Tuesday, leaving 17 injured.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

PORT FOURCHON, La. (AP) — Families of about 100 workers who survived an explosion more than a day ago on an oil drilling platform off the Louisiana coast know their loved ones are safe but have yet to see them face-to-face.

The thunderous blast rocked the Deepwater Horizon late Tuesday, leaving 17 injured and 11 missing. Early Thursday, a boat carrying the survivors hadn’t yet reached shore at Port Fourchon, La.

The workers then are expected to be taken to a hotel about 70 miles north to a hotel in suburban New Orleans where many families are waiting.

Coast Guard rescuers were searching overnight for any signs of the 11 unaccounted for.

The rig is owned by Transocean Ltd. and was under contract to the oil giant BP, doing exploratory drilling.