The Mae Klong river dockyard in Muang district, in Thailand was damaged by an oil tanker explosion Tuesday morning, leaving eight workers missing. Police were notified of the explosion aboard the tanker Smooth Sea 22 at approximately 9:17 a.m. local time, according to the Bangkok Post. It is believed that the tanker, which has a capacity of 6,500 deadweight tonnes, was being maintained at Ruammitr Dockyard in Tambon Laem Yai at the time of the accident. The vehicle’s tank was empty.
Over a radius of several kilometres, the explosion was heard and felt. There were shattered glass window panes in the houses. About an hour later, the Marine Department reported that the fire on the vessel had been extinguished. There were eight dockyard workers who were missing. An investigation into the cause of the fire was underway by the department.
