At least 1 dead, 4 injured in Thailand oil tanker explosion

Bangkok, Jan 17 (EFE).- At least one person died and four were injured, while seven are missing, due to a strong explosion Tuesday in an oil tanker in the province of Samut Songkhram, in western Thailand, official sources reported.

Sources from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of the province told EFE that the causes of the explosion, which occurred in the morning on the Smooth Sea ship while it was undergoing maintenance in the port, are unknown.

Footage published by local media Thairath appears to show the moment of the incident. A strong explosion is seen followed by a second blast, which sends plumes of black smoke billowing dozens of meters into the air.

In July 2021, one person was killed and 33 others injured by an explosion at a chemical factory near Bangkok, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,800 people.

Two people were injured in November 2014 after an oil tanker exploded, causing a fire that spread to another ship at a port on the Mekong River in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. EFE

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