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The US government’s point man on the Gulf oil spill says BP’s blown-out well is not securely plugged to his satisfaction and that the drilling of the relief well must go ahead.

Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen has said that although no oil is flowing from the well, the “bottom kill” operation must be completed.

It was suspended earlier this week because of bad weather and could take four days to retstart.

The government estimates that the broken well leaked close to five million barrels of oil before it was capped and sealed.

And last week, it released a report stating only a quarter of that oil remains on, or underneath the water.

But in the fishing town of Lafitte, Louisiana, many people who depend on the Gulf waters for their living are questioning the government’s claims.

Al Jazeera’s Cath Turner reports.