Worker Killed in Gas Rig Blast Off Texas

A late-night blast rocked a gas drilling rig in Galveston Bay, killing one worker and sending four others to the hospital.

The cause of the blast was undetermined.

Twenty-one workers were rescued after the blast was reported about 11 p.m. Tuesday at the Houston-based Transocean Inc. rig, the Coast Guard said. Some workers were treated for injuries at the scene.

The dead worker's body was found on the rig almost nine hours later. His identity was not immediately released.

One worker remained hospitalized Wednesday for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Transocean Inc. said the fire was confined to mud pits on the well site by late Wednesday morning. There were no visible signs of pollution into the bay.

The No. 62 rig is about one mile from April Fool Point near San Leon, about 35 miles southeast of downtown Houston.