The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Oil spill fouls river in eastern Venezuela

In this photo taken Tuesday Feb. 7, 2012, workers set up barriers to contain the oil spill in the Guarapiche River near Maturin, Venezuela. Crude oil that spilled from a ruptured pipeline blackened the river in eastern Venezuela. Workers have removed a "good percentage of the crude" from the Guarapiche River said Ramiro Ramirez, environmental director of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA. (AP Photo/ Luis Carreno/ La Prensa de Monagas)

In this photo taken Tuesday Feb. 7, 2012, crude oil that spilled from a ruptured pipeline blackens the Guarapiche River, outskirts of Maturin, eastern Venezuela. Workers have removed a "good percentage of the crude" from the river said Ramiro Ramirez, environmental director of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA. (AP Photo/ Luis Carreno/ La Prensa de Monagas)

In this photo taken Tuesday Feb. 7, 2012, crude oil that spilled from a ruptured pipeline blackens the Guarapiche River near Maturin, eastern Venezuela. Workers have removed a "good percentage of the crude" from the river said Ramiro Ramirez, environmental director of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA. (AP Photo/ Luis Carreno/ La Prensa de Monagas)

Officials pushing for safety on U.S. 35 interchanges project
Updated 5 min. ago
Dayton VA closer to National Historic Landmark status
Updated 8 min. ago
Supreme Court stops same-sex marriage lawsuit
8:55 p.m.
Salem Ave. Bridge to close for 4 years
8:48 p.m.
Plan would ease filing local taxes
8:33 p.m.
> More headlines

The Associated Press Updated 6:56 PM Saturday, February 11, 2012

CARACAS, Venezuela — Crude oil that spilled from a ruptured pipeline has blackened a river in eastern Venezuela, and the state oil company said workers are containing the spill.

Workers have removed a "good percentage of the crude" from the Guarapiche River in Monagas state, said Ramiro Ramirez, environmental director of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA.

Ramirez told the state-run Venezuelan News Agency on Friday that workers have been using absorbent barriers to block the crude in the river. He said they have also shut off water intakes along the river, where a drinking water purification plant is located.

State oil company officials said a pipe that transports crude to a processing plant ruptured on Feb. 4. Ramirez didn't say how much crude has spilled. He said officials were investigating what caused the accident.

Gov. Jose Gregorio Briceno said earlier in the week that the government had declared an emergency in Monagas state after the spill forced officials to halt normal water distribution to parts of the city of Maturin, the Venezuela television station Globovision reported.

Briceno said classes have been canceled at schools in affected areas, and public offices have reduced hours due to the water supply problems.

___

February 11, 2012 11:51 PM EST

Share this article