Greta Thunberg lashes out at world leaders after gas pipeline causes fire in Gulf of Mexico

Greta Thunberg.
Greta Thunberg. Photo credit: Getty Images

Greta Thunberg has lashed out at world leaders after an undersea gas pipeline caused a fire in the Gulf of Mexico.

The teen climate activist took to Twitter to criticise leaders who continue to grant new oil licences to explore future oil drilling sites despite the occurrence of environmental disasters linked to the oil industry.

Retweeting video footage of the fire, Thunberg wrote: "Meanwhile the people in power call themselves 'climate leaders' as they open up new oilfields, pipelines and coal power plants - granting new oil licenses exploring future oil drilling sites. This is the world they are leaving for us."

The fire was caused by a gas leak in an underwater pipeline west of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and took more than five hours to put out, Reuters reports.

Mexico's state oil company Pemex, which owns the pipeline, said no injuries were reported, with the head of Mexico's oil safety regulator ASEA also saying the incident "did not generate any spill", according to Reuters.

The blaze has been referred to as an "eye of fire" by social media users, with footage showing strange balls of flames, resembling molten lava, burning on the ocean surface.

Thunberg's comments were echoed by the Center for Biological Diversity, with oceans programme director Miyoko Sakashita saying, "the frightening footage of the Gulf of Mexico is showing the world that offshore drilling is dirty and dangerous", according to Associated Press.

"These horrific accidents will continue to harm the Gulf if we don’t end offshore drilling once and for all," Sakashita added.