The Deepwater Horizon oil rig sank on April 22nd 2010 after an explosion on April 20th 2010. Since then, 1,000 barrels of oil (42,000 gallons) per day have been spewing into the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico, and the ensuing oil slick is now within 20 miles of the coast of Louisiana, USA.
The above images are courtesy of Gulf Restoration Network and Southwings.
If you have images of the disaster you would like us to add, please contact The Global Herald by clicking here.
Louisiana is a southeastern U.S. state on the Gulf of Mexico. Its history as a melting pot of French, African, American and French-Canadian cultures is reflected in its Creole and Cajun cultures. The largest city, New Orleans, is known for its colonial-era French Quarter, raucous Mardi Gras festival, jazz music, Renaissance-style St. Louis Cathedral and wartime exhibits at the huge National WWII Museum.
Mexico became an independent nation state after the successful Mexican War of Independence against Spain in 1821.
Mexico is a developing country, but has the world’s 15th-largest economy by nominal GDP and the 11th-largest by PPP, with the United States being its largest economic partner. Since 2006, a conflict between the government and drug trafficking syndicates has led to over 120,000 deaths.
Mexico receives a significant number of tourists every year; in 2018, it was the 6th most-visited country in the world, with 39 million international arrivals.
