1 dead, 2 injured in explosion on oil tanker off Wakayama
On September 11, a powerful explosion aboard a South Korean oil tanker left the chief engineer dead and two crew members injured off Wakayama Prefecture in western Japan.
The accident took place when the 740-ton tanker Eiwa Maru 3 with 10 crew members was heading toward Mie Prefecture at around 6:40 p.m. Friday after unloading lubricant oil at a plant in the city of Arida in Wakayama.
The coast guard said it believes that the explosion might be due to sparks from ongoing welding on the deck met with vaporized oil from the oil tank as the welding and cleaning of the tank were taking place at the same time.
The 60-year-old South Korean chief engineer was declared dead after being transported to a hospital. The two crew members, both Indonesian, sustained injuries including broken bones.
The Japan Transport Safety Board has decided to dispatch two investigators to probe the incident.
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Source: Japan Today
