In Brief

Ruptured Pipeline Spews 10,000 Gallons of Oil in Los Angeles

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More than 10,000 gallons of crude oil is gushing into the streets of a Los Angeles neighborhood, after a pipeline ruptured early this morning (May 15).

The oil — knee-deep in some places — is spreading over an area stretching roughly half a square mile (1.3 square kilometers), reported the Associated Press. Emergency crews are currently working to contain the runoff, and several roads have been closed. No major injuries were reported, but two people have been transferred to a hospital, according to the AP.

The above-ground pipe burst in Atwater Village, in northeast Los Angeles, shortly after 1 a.m. local time, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. While there is no "visible evidence" that oil has entered the city's storm drains, which flow into the Los Angeles River, it is possible that crude oil has seeped under manhole covers, according to the AP.

The ruptured pipe is part of an oil line that runs from Bakersfield, California, to Texas, reported the AP.

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Denise Chow
Denise Chow
Live Science Contributor

Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.