On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. This resulted in 11 fatalities. During firefighting attempts, the platform sank, breaking the drill pipe. For nearly 3 months, 800 million liters of oil flowed into the sea through a non-functioning blowout preventer. After many futile attempts, BP finally succeeded in stopping the oil flow on July 15, 2010. The seawater and coastal area have been heavily polluted for decades. Many (endangered) animals are dying.