On November 4, the 169 meter long general cargo ship Tian Xiang 69 sustained an explosion while off Weihai, China. The explosion occurred in the vessel’s crankcase seriously injuring five crewmen. Authorities dispatched a helicopter to the scene and airlifted the injured crew to a nearby hospital. The cause of the explosion was not yet known. Reports state authorities has launched an investigation into the incident.
On August 15, 2014 the 96 meter long, 3691 dwt tanker Java Bonitos suffered several explosions in the Bangka Strait off Belitung Island, Indonesia. Reports state the vessel while en route to Jakarta from Palembang Sumatra in ballast suffered 3 explosions and resulting fire in the engine room. One crewman was killed and another 3 were reported as missing. The remaining crew abandoned ship and were later rescued. Several crew suffered severe burns requiring hospitalization. The Java Bonitos disabled by the damage went adrift. Salvors are standing by the tanker waiting for the fire to cool down before boarding and searching for the missing crew.
The 2242 dwt chemical tanker Shoko Maru exploded while in the Japan Sea off Kobe, Japan. The tanker was anchored with only ballast after off loading heavy oil at a nearby port when fumes from the cargo tanks exploded. Seven crew were rescued, but many suffered burns and were hospitalized. The master of the vessel was reported missing and presumed lost.
The Shoko Maru suffered extensive damage from the explosion and resulting fire. Coast Guard and fire fighting vessels were able to extinguish the blaze, but the tanker sustained too much damage and sank bow a short time later. Reports state the explosion was started by a spark while a crewman using a grinder to remove paint off the cargo deck.
