Gulf of Mexico oil spill 'worse than thought'

An oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is said to be five times worse than first thought.

According to the US Coast Guard, around 5,000 barrels of oil a day are currently flowing into the sea following the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig last week.

Speaking to the BBC, Mike Miller, head of Canadian oil well fire-fighting company Safety Boss, said it could become the biggest oil spill the world has ever seen.

He noted that the only thing comparable to this disaster is the fires in Kuwait following the Gulf War in 1991.

"The Exxon Valdez [tanker disaster off Alaska in 1989] is going to pale in comparison to this as it goes on," Mr Miller commented.

He added that the objective for authorities now is to shut off the oil flow as quickly as possible.

US officials took the decision earlier today (April 29th) to burn off some of the oil in a bid to minimise environmental damage.

Written by Lauren Steadman