President Obama receives update on massive oil leak in Gulf of Mexico

April 29th, 2010 - 10:29 pm ICT by BNO News  

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) — President Obama on Thursday received an update on the oil spill from from last week’s deadly rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, which dramatically increased on Wednesday.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama received a 20-minute update on the oil spill during his daily intelligence briefing in the Oval Office, which began at 9 a.m. ET.

Meanwhile, officials said the oil spill from the rig has dramatically increased after a third underwater oil leak had been located in the pipeline that previously connected the rig to the oil well. The Coast Guard now estimates that the spill is around 5,000 barrels a day, which is five times more than the original estimate. Some fear the spill may result in the worst environmental disaster in years.

The April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig - off of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico - killed 11 people and injured 17 others. The platform later sank.

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