HONG KONG – An oil tanker caught fire in Hong Kong’s southern waters on Tuesday, killing one crew member while at least 21 were rescued, police said, with witnesses reporting a loud blast that shook windows several kilometers away.
Rescue operations were going on about one nautical mile south of Lamma Island.
“There are still some crew that haven’t been saved,” a police spokeswoman told Reuters. She was not immediately able to provide more details including the name of the tanker, or its size.
The Aulac Fortune is a small, 17,500 deadweight tonne oil product tanker built in 2010, sailing under Vietnamese flag, according to data from Marine Traffic.
Ship tracking data shows it last loaded 6,000 tonnes of gasoline, most of which was delivered to Guangzhou between Jan. 6 and 7.
Residents of the nearby island of Lantau said they heard a big blast which rattled doors and windows. (Reuters)
