Tanker Explosion off Zhanjiang Port, 2 Missing

A Chinese product tanker has exploded off China’s Zhanjiang port leaving two crew members missing.

According to media reports, the 4,577dwt product tanker Run Guang 9 was en route from Zhuhai to Zhanjiang when a cargo hold caught fire on the unladen vessel.

12 have been rescued from the vessel, some with injuries. A search continues for the remaining two people.

Over 10 vessels were deployed in the rescue and the fire has been extinguished. Local authorities have indicated that clean up measures have been undertaken in the waters around the vessel.

The port of Zhanjiang received its largest oil tanker ever on January 1. The 300,000 ton capacity vessel was able to dock as a result of a series of renovations in the port. Oil cargo volumes at the port reached 25 million tons in 2014 and this is expected to grow to 30 million tons in 2015.