Blast kills one, injures three on berthed tanker near Bangkok

Authorities in Thailand have confirmed that an explosion on a berthed commercial tanker has left one individual dead and three others with varying degrees of injury.

The Thai-registered product tanker Smooth Sea 2 was at berth just outside the country’s capital of Bangkok when a blaze ignited on board shortly after 09:00 local time on Wednesday, March 9.

The fire was then followed by an explosion that was also reportedly felt by residents in a nearby coastal community.

The Royal Thai Navy sent two vessels and teams of divers to assist in firefighting and search and rescue (SAR) efforts.

Navy and police officials said the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes.

One crewmember on the tanker was initially reported missing. He was later found deceased by SAR personnel on board the stricken vessel.

The three injured crewmen were later brought to hospital. Authorities have not yet provided updates on their condition.

The tanker had 1.8 million litres of benzene gasohol and 1.3 million litres of diesel on board when the incident occurred. Officials, however, clarified that no oil spills were detected in the surrounding waters.