The sprawling oil slick has begun washing up on the Louisiana coast and is threatening three other states.Up to 5,000 barrels of oil a day are gushing into the sea after the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank last week.
Analysts say it could soon rival the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster as the worst spill in US history.
Mississippi and Alabama have joined Louisiana and Florida in declaring a state of emergency.Worsening weather conditions have been hampering efforts to contain the slick, which is more than 130 miles (200km) long.Choppy seas were driving oil over inflatable booms set up to protect the coastline.And forecasters said strong winds could push the oil into inlets, ponds and lakes in south-east Louisiana over the weekend.Some 1,900 emergency workers and more than 300 ships and aircraft are being sent to the disaster zone.
The first lawsuits have already been filed on behalf of fisherman, in what could end up as a barrage of litigation.The cause of last week's blast, which left 11 workers missing, presumed dead, remains unclear.
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