Seaman dies, 12 crew members rescued from blazing cargo ship in Hong Kong’s southern waters
- Two fireboats and two vessels carrying divers dispatched to scene
- Fire services spokesman says 13 crew members found on cargo ship, with one dead and 12 unhurt
A mainland Chinese seaman died and 12 colleagues were rescued by firefighters from a blazing cargo vessel in Hong Kong’s southern waters on Monday after an explosion on board.
Emergency personnel were called in at about 8.45am after fire broke out on the 98-metre-long (322 feet) Guo Xin 1 about two to three nautical miles (3.6km to 5.4km) southwest of Lamma, one of the city’s outlying islands.
Preliminary investigations suggested the fire started in the ship’s engine room, a source familiar with the case said. There were 13 mainland crew members – 12 men and a woman – on the ship.
He said the vessel was in transit through the city’s waters while carrying steel products from Lianyungang in Jiangsu province to Foshan in Guangdong.
A Fire Services Department spokesman said two fireboats and two vessels carrying divers were dispatched to the scene. A total of 14 fire engines and two ambulances were deployed on shore.
“Thirteen crew members were found on board the vessel. One of them was found dead while the other 12 were rescued and unhurt,” he said.