Paint It Black: Giant Oil Spill Threatens Gulf Coast

April 22, 2010: The Deepwater Horizon oil rig stationed in the Gulf of Mexico, 40 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, sinks after exploding and catching fire two days earlier. London-based BP PLC owns the rig, which is now leaking an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil per day. The resulting oil slick threatens to upset habitats in a number of states on the U.S. Gulf Coast, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Here, rescue ships attempt to put out the fire that resulted from the explosion.