BP facing lawsuit in Mexico over environmental damage from Deepwater Horizon

BP is facing a class-action lawsuit in Mexico over the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, according to Reuters.

On April 20, 2010 an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig offshore Louisiana caused 11 deaths and led to a three-month-long untapped gusher of oil into the waters. It was and remains the worst offshore oil disaster in US history.

Lawsuits in the case up to now have been in the US, with BP paying out or setting aside many billions for compensation and damages.

Now, with more than five years lapsed since the explosion, the negative effects have reached Mexican waters and coastlines, claims the group bringing the latest action in a Mexico City court.

The suing party, Acciones Colectivas de Sinaloa, are class-action specialists in Mexico. They contend that the slow contamination resulting from the incident caused environmental damage along Mexico’s Gulf coast.

They claim that US scientific studies have shown damage to marine life and plants in the Mexican waters.