'Ocean on Fire': Oil Firm Says Blaze in Mexican Waters Snuffed Out

Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

A fire caused by the rupturing of an underwater gas pipeline and the consequent gas leak in the Gulf of Mexico has been extinguished, state-owned oil company Pemex said in a statement on Saturday, 3 July.

The company said that the "fire in the sea", which began around 5:15 am was put out at 10:45 am, adding that it shut some valves of the pipeline. Operations have now been restored to normal.

No injury was reported in the incident that took place about 500 feet from a drilling platform. Pemex said it would be carrying out an investigation to find out the cause.

Angel Carrizales, who heads Mexico's oil safety regulator ASEA, wrote on Twitter that the incident did not "generate any spill".

Videos of the fire had gone viral on social media, leaving netizens in disbelief at the "ocean on fire" and efforts to put it out.

The Gulf of Mexico is literally on fire because a pipeline ruptured pic.twitter.com/J4ur5MNyt1

— Brian Kahn (@blkahn) July 2, 2021

Put it out, put it outpic.twitter.com/idajdbyTOR

— Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) July 2, 2021

Never in your life forget the time humans caught the ocean on fire and then tried to put it out by spraying water on it. https://t.co/W7D5Qezfp3

— Judge Dave Anthony PsyD, PHD, MD, Esquire. (@daveanthony) July 2, 2021

I am not sure how spraying water on a fire that is literally in the ocean is going to help put it out. I need someone to make it make sense for me.

— Christopher Bouzy (@cbouzy) July 2, 2021

When you see the ocean literally on fire in the Gulf of Mexico, it's s time to move on from fossil fuels. https://t.co/x5zAO3nIM2

— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) July 2, 2021