Dramatic Images Show Firefighters Battling Blaze Aboard Tanker with 168,000 Barrels of Oil

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An oil-tanker fire in the Gulf of Mexico has been put out, but it’s still not clear what caused it.

A massive fire that erupted on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico was put out late Sunday, but about 100 emergency personnel are still monitoring the stricken vessel, reports say.

The tanker was carrying 80,000 barrels of diesel, 71,000 of gasoline and 16,000 barrels of desulfurized gasoline, according to Mexico’s communications and transport ministry.  It has a capacity to carry 270,000 barrels.

Eduardo Murillo / AFP / Getty Images

Mexican navy ships arrived at the scene and barriers were placed around the vessel in case an oil spill occurred.

According to reports, some fuel spilled into the sea but there is no risk of contamination “because they are light fuels.”

Eduardo Murillo / AFP / Getty Images

“It’s not crude, it’s not going to the bottom of the sea, it stays on the surface,”said Juan Ignacio Fernandez Carvajal of the Veracruz Port Authority.

Handout via AFP / Getty Images

Fernandez Caravajal said they were working to control the fire on Saturday night, and the tanker could still sink.  “But it’s what we’re trying to avoid.  We’re attacking that risk,” he said.

Eduardo Murillo / AFP / Getty Images

The ship “has a double hull that prevents the fuel it carries from being spilled,” state oil company Pemex CEO Jose Antonio Anaya told a press conference.

Handout via AFP / Getty Images

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Disclaimer: This video is intended for informational purpose only.  This may not be construed as a news item or advice of any sort.  Please consult the experts in that field for the authenticity of the presentations.

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Source: RT