At least six injured in oil platform fire in Gulf of Mexico

At least six people were injured after a fire broke out Friday at the Nohoch Alfa offshore platform at the Bay of Campeche, in the Gulf of Mexico, the state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) said in a statement.

Some 321 workers out of the 328 who were working on the structure when the fire started have already been evacuated, according to Pemex. Four boats have been sent to control the fires on the oil platform.

Some employees of other platforms told CNN Friday that the flames can be seen from the nearby platforms, so the incident appears to be of considerable magnitude.

During an earlier press conference, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that the blaze was being battled by Pemex firefighters and the Mexican Navy was also participating in the efforts.

Pemex, which has a long record of major industrial accidents at its facilities, said "it will continue to report on the control, extinction of the fire and damage assessment throughout the day."

In 2021, a blaze that resembled a large "eye of fire" near a Pemex offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico was brought under control.