Oil tanker explosion on Chao Phraya River kills 1 crew member, injures 3

An explosion on an oil tanker on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok has killed 1 crew member and injured 3. According to a Thai PBS World report, the explosion occurred yesterday afternoon at the Bangchak depot in the district of Phra Khanong. The Ampar 8 Bangkok, which was carrying around 3 million litres of crude oil, was mooring when the explosion occurred.

Police say sparks erupted in the anchor windlass room prior to the explosion, which resulted in a fire that was confined to that room. A crew member who was in the room at the time has died and 3 others were injured. Another 12 crew members escaped uninjured. The dead man has been named as Prasit Sapsawan.

Thai PBS World reports that, following the explosion, the tanker travelled about 5 kilometres from the Bangchak depot, anchoring near Phra Chulachomklao Fort in the central province of Samut Prakan, where it took firefighters an hour to extinguish the blaze, using chemical foam and water. Several other vessels have been put on standby with booms, in the event of a crude oil leak into the river.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Transport Minister, Atirat Ratanasate, has ordered the Marine Department to form an investigating committee and to prevent the vessel from being used until a probe into the accident has been concluded.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World