Obama Pledges to Triple Oil Response Manpower in Gulf

US President Barack Obama has ordered a tripling of manpower in coastal areas where oil has washed ashore or threatens to within 24 hours. Speaking on a tour of oil-hit areas, he said the US would "do whatever it takes" to help those affected.

"Our response will continue with its full force regardless of the outcome of the top-kill approach. I'm the president and the buck stops with me. I give the people of this community and the entire gulf my word that we're going to hold ourselves accountable to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to stop this catastrophe, to defend our natural resources, to repair the damage and to keep this region on its feet," BBC News quoted him as saying.

Earlier on the tour, Mr Obama visited a beach guarded by a protective boom, and was seen stooping to inspect the sand and picking up a handful of tar balls.

Thousands of barrels of oil have been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico after a Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank last month, killing 11 employees.

The oil company BP says operations to seal the hole in the damaged well are continuing. BP chief executive Tony Hayward said the outcome would not be clear for another 48 hours. He said the new "top kill" effort - untested before at this depth of 5,000ft (1.5km) - was "going pretty well according to plan."

Obama, in turn, said the additional manpower would lay more booms, clean beaches and monitor stricken wildlife. He said 20,000 people had already been deployed to contain and clean up the spill, adding that US Energy Secretary Steven Chu was leading a team of "the world's top scientists, engineers and experts" in devising a contingency plan should the "top kill" attempt fail.

The thick crude oil has already permeated more than 110km (70 miles) of Louisiana's coastline, threatening fragile wetlands and putting the vital fishing industry at risk.