Oil rig explodes in Louisiana lake, injuries reported

An  oil rig exploded Sunday night in Lake Pontchartrain in St. Charles Parish, a Louisiana police department said.

Kenner Police Department spokesman Sgt. Brian McGregor said Sunday evening that rescue boats were being sent from the Kenner Boat Launch, and that officials with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office are assisting, The Times-Picayune reported .

There were "a lot of injuries," many of them serious, with at least seven confirmed and more expected, McGregor said.

Initial reports said six people were injured and one person was missing.

Five of the injured were taken to University Medical Center with "blast type injuries and burns" and are in critical condition, said Mike Guillot, director of East Jefferson Emergency Medical Services. The other two are in stable condition at East Jefferson General Hospital. Search and rescue efforts were continuing as of Sunday night. No deaths have been reported.

Reports came into the Emergency Operations center around 7:15 p.m. of fire and smoke being seen from Lake Pontchartrain, Jefferson Parish spokesman Antwan Harris said in a news release Sunday night.

"Several people have been rescued from the active fire on the rig," Harris said.

"Authorities on the scene report that cleaning chemicals ignited on the surface of the oil rig platform," the City of Kenner Government posted on its Facebook page Sunday evening.

Clovelly Oil Co. owns the platform that is in production, said Taylor Darden, a lawyer for the company who is listed as its registered agent with the Louisiana Secretary of State.

The platform, located in Jefferson Parish, is used for the transfer of oil, said Chief David Tibbets of the East Bank Consolidated Fire Department. He said the department's current goal is to stop oil flow and, if needed, let it burn off safely.

Hurricane Ophelia: Warnings as storm heads to UK

The Met Office has warned of "potential danger to life" as the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia head for the British Isles with 80mph (130km/h) winds.

An amber warning for Northern Ireland, where all schools are to be closed on Monday, is in force from 15:00 BST.

In the Republic of Ireland, Met Eireann has issued a red wind warning and the government has deployed the army.

The hurricane will have weakened to a storm when it hits the UK on Monday, 30 years after the Great Storm of 1987.

The BBC's Ireland correspondent, Chris Page, said it would be the most severe storm to hit the island of Ireland in half a century.

Ophelia is on its way from the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean.

Met Eireann meteorologist Joanna Donnelly told BBC Breakfast that "hurricane-force winds" were expected at Ireland's southern coast at around 10:00 BST, but the "real impact" for the Republic of Ireland will be about midday.

All Northern Ireland schools to close after storm warning

Hurricane Ophelia: Latest updates

Dublin Airport said while early morning flights were operating as normal, up to 90 flights are expected to be cancelled when the storm hits later.

Belfast Airport said flights were scheduled to operate as normal, but passengers should check with their airline.

Ryanair and Aer Lingus have also cancelled flights due to severe weather.

Northern Ireland's Department of Education said the decision on school closures was "entirely precautionary".

All schools and colleges in the Republic of Ireland, where "violent and destructive gusts" are forecast, will also be shut.

The Department of Education and Skills said the decision had been made "following discussions with members of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning and in light of the advice from Met Eireann on this unprecedented storm."

Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said defence forces were being sent to red weather alert areas - including Wexford, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford. It has been downgraded to a category one hurricane by the US National Hurricane Center and is forecast to continue gradually weakening.

The Met Office said there was a "good chance" Northern Ireland could be hit on Monday afternoon by power cuts, flying debris, large waves in coastal areas and disruption to all travel services.

It also issued a yellow warning of "very windy weather", which it updated later on Sunday morning to take in much of northern England and Wales, along with parts of southern and central Scotland. It has been downgraded to a category one hurricane by the US National Hurricane Center and is forecast to continue gradually weakening.

Ophelia set the record for the most easterly category three hurricane in the Atlantic.

Category three hurricanes are defined as having wind speeds of between 111mph (179km/h) and 129mph (208km/h) and can cause major damage to well-built homes.

Trump says Puerto Rico ‘wiped out’ from hurricanes, defends administration’s aid effort

President Trump said Friday that Puerto Rico has been “wiped out” by Hurricane Maria and recovery efforts are “starting from scratch.”

“There’s nothing left. It’s been wiped out,” Mr. Trump said in Washington. “The roads are washed away. There is no electricity. The plants are gone. Sewer systems wiped out. There’s never been anything like this. There remains a lot of work to do.

”Facing criticism that relief efforts have been too slow, Mr. Trump said his administration has undertaken “a massive federal mobilization,” including more than 5,000 military personnel and national guard.

“All appropriate departments of our government … are engaged fully,” he said.

Part of the problems include the island’s relative isolation from the mainland and weakened infrastructure and debt.
“This is an island surrounded by water, big water, ocean water,” Mr. Trump said. “The police and truck drivers are substantially gone … and largely unable to help. We’re forced to bring in truck drivers, security and many, many other personnel by the thousands. We’re bringing them onto the island as we speak. We’ve never seen situation like this.”

High Schools Threaten to Punish Students Who Kneel During Anthem

The controversy over kneeling in protest of racial injustice moved beyond the world of professional sports this week, when a number of schools told students they were expected to stand during the national anthem.

On Long Island, the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which runs a private Catholic school system, said students at its three high schools could face “serious disciplinary action” if they knelt during the anthem before sporting events.

Sean P. Dolan, a spokesman for the diocese, said on Friday that the letter, which was sent to principals, was intended to restate policy that the diocese already had in place.

But he added in an emailed statement: “Although the Diocese does not agree that demonstrations are appropriate in its schools during the playing of the National Anthem — which recognizes the tremendous sacrifices of Americans of all races, ethnicities and religions — it notes that students who seek to challenge racism and racial discrimination are firmly in accord with Catholic teaching.”

In northwest Louisiana, Scott Smith, the superintendent of schools in Bossier Parish, said student athletes were expected to stand for the anthem. “It is a choice for students to participate in extracurricular activities, not a right, and we at Bossier Schools feel strongly that our teams and organizations should stand in unity to honor our nation’s military and veterans,” he said.

Waylon Bates, the principal of Parkway High School in Bossier City, La., a municipality of more than 60,000 people near Shreveport, outlined the punishment students would face at his school. He sent a letter on Thursday to athletes and parents saying athletes were required to stand “in a respectful manner” during the anthem.