Explosions hinder efforts to fight ship blaze

EFFORTS TO extinguish a fire and rescue survivors on a stricken oil tanker have been hampered by a series of explosions.

The Iranian tanker has been ablaze since it collided with Hong-Kong registered freight ship last Saturday night, 185 miles off China’s coast near Shanghai.

was carrying almost one million barrels of highly flammable crude oil to South Korea with 32 crew members on board – 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis. All are missing except for one man whose body was found in the sea.

Chinese officials have warned the tanker could explode and sink, possibly triggering an environmental disaster. Earlier China warned that the tanker could explode and sink, possibly triggering an environmental disaster.

Intense flames, bad weather and poor visibility have hampered rescue efforts. The cause of the collision with the Chinese freighter remains unclear.

The National Iranian Tanker Company, the operator, said on Tuesday there was a chance that survivors were trapped in the ship’s engine room.

“Since the vessel’s engine room is not directly affected by the fire and is about 14 metres (46 feet) under water, there is still hope,” NITC spokesman Mohsen Bahrami said.

It is the second collision involving a ship from the National Iranian Tanker Company in less than 18 months. In August 2016, one of its tankers collided with a Swiss container ship in the Singapore Strait, damaging both vessels but causing no injuries or oil spill.

Ten-foot waves and strong winds, along with toxic fumes from the burning oil, have also hindered the efforts to extinguish the fire.

The tanker has also now drifted into Japan’s waters.