Deepwater Horizon (explosion and oil spill)

The Deepwater Horizon was an offshore oil drilling rig that exploded on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. A blowout caused a surge of high-pressure oil and gas to escape uncontrollably, leading to a catastrophic explosion and fire. The failure of safety systems resulted in the rig sinking two days later. The blowout released approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil into the ocean over 87 days, causing widespread environmental damage, harming marine life, and impacting local industries. The disaster highlighted safety and regulatory shortcomings in deepwater drilling operations.