One killed, six injured in blast on board Korean ship off Mumbai
26 March 2012
One South Korean sailor was killed and another injured alongside a Filipino and four Indians on March 24 in an explosion on board the chemical tanker Royal Diamond 7, at anchor near Butcher Island off Mumbai harbour. Two of the injured crew members, being treated at a hospital in Mumbai, are reported to be in a serious condition.
The fatal blast was the second explosion about the Royal Diamond 7 in a week
The crew and a team of local labourers were cleaning an area near a gas pipeline carrying toluene liquid when the explosion took place.
The fire triggered by the explosion on the Korean-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was quickly brought under control.
The explosion was the second incident to take place on board Royal Diamond 7 within a week. The blast took place in the same storeroom where a fire and explosion had occurred on March 17 after it had discharged a consignment of 2,000 tonnes of toluene.
According to Indian Navy officials, after the explosion some of the crew members jumped into the sea and were picked up by the Navy and marine police.
Senior port management visited the chemical tanker to assess the situation, and decided to shift the 128 metre long, 9,500 dwt tanker to an outer anchorage, according to the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT).
The MbPT and Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) have ordered an inquiry into the mishap.