A large cloud of smoke rises from the burning ship.
An oil tanker exploded on the Mae Klong River in central Thailand. The accident happened on Tuesday morning (local time) during maintenance work while the ship was docked in Samut Songkhram province, the fire department said on Twitter. The Mae Klong flows into the Gulf of Thailand there.
Eight port works were missing, the newspaper “Bangkok Post” reported, citing the authorities. Photos and videos on the Internet showed thick columns of smoke rising from the tanker. According to the information, the “Smooth Sea 22” had not loaded any crude oil.
The explosion could be heard miles away. Windows shattered in surrounding areas. Firefighters brought the fire under control after about an hour. The authorities initiated investigations into the cause of the accident. (SDA)