2 Burned in Accident at Rig Being Capped in Louisiana

Tensas Parish Sheriff Ricky Jones says two men were seriously burned when vapors at a Louisiana drilling rig apparently were ignited by the motor of a pumper truck, and a vat of drilling mud on the rig caught fire.

Both were flown to University Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., after the accident Wednesday morning in the Buckhorn Wildlife Management Area off Louisiana Highway 128 west of St. Joseph.

Jones says one man was in the truck, which was destroyed. He says the other was on the rig, which was being capped. Jones says that man was thrown from the rig when the drilling mud caught fire.

Jones says he didn’t get either man’s name or condition. Chess Well Service did not immediately answer an emailed request for information.