Oil spill floods LA streets

The streets of Los Angeles have been covered in crude oil after a pipe broke, resulting in a major clean-up operation.

The LA Fire Department (LAFD) said that an estimated 10,000 gallons, or 38,000 litres, of oil has spilled onto in the streets and covered an area of about half a mile.

The LAFD said that initial reports were that it was "knee high in some areas", with several commercial businesses affected and one club being evacuated.

After the pipe break was discovered, the oil line was remotely shut off, and by 0600 local time (1400 BST) most of the oil had been vacuumed.

Early reports suggested that at least four people experienced breathing problems as a result of crude oil exposure, while two were taken to hospital.

An investigation into how the spillage came about has indicated that the oil pipe - which is situated above the ground - broke in the early hours of Thursday near San Fernando Road, which is a major road in LA.

According to LAFD spokesman Erik Scott, there was no "visible evidence" that the oil had entered any of the city's storm drains, which carry excess rain water into the Los Angeles River

Despite this, the AP reports Mr Scott as saying that it was possible the oil had seeped under manhole covers in the area before it could be caught and halted.

After the incident was reported by the LAFD at 02:05 local time (09:05 GMT), an affiliated tractor company and hazardous materials team were sent to the scene, with street maintenance teams using sand to halt the the run-off.

Video footage showed oil shooting upwards out of the pipe and flowing down the street, but the LAFD has revised its initial estimate that 1,000,000 gallons had spilled, and now believes that this figure is closer to 10,000 gallons, with little risk of further spillage occurring.