Explosion on oil tanker off Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said on April 16 that the explosion on the Chuang Yi oil tanker happened at about 4 pm, when the ship was about 300 km east of the city’s coast.

Officials say the ship is registered in Panama. Information about the shipowner company and crew number has not been verified.

RTHK said the fire on the tanker has been extinguished. After receiving notice from the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, the aviation authority of the special zone deployed a fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters to bring three doctors and a rescue team to the scene.

According to a spokesman for the Hong Kong rescue agency, one sailor died in the explosion. Another person on board suffered second-degree burns, injuries about 30% of his body. At least two sailors suffered burns to their faces.

The first helicopter approached the oil tanker Chuang Yi at about 7pm on the same day (18h Hanoi) and brought the three most seriously injured sailors to the mainland. All three victims are Indonesian citizens, over 30 years old.

The patients were transferred directly to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern hospital almost two hours later.

A second helicopter was assigned to pick up two Indonesians and an injured Burmese on board. The sailors will be transferred to Wan Chai, and then transported to the hospital by ambulance.

Officials Hong Kong said the special maritime agency will coordinate with the ship’s operator Chuang Yi to move the dead sailors’ bodies on board. A spokesman for the Hong Kong rescue agency added that the tanker had lost power completely.

Marine data tracking sites recorded that Chuang Yi had a tonnage of about 5,500 tons, and a length of 120 meters. The vessel has been in service for 22 years and is on its way to the island of Taiwan. The number of crew members remaining on the ship and the cause of the explosion have not been released.

Trung Nhan (According to SCMP, AP)