Oil Tanker Carrying 3 Million Liters of Crude Oil Explodes

Several people were injured and one crew member was killed when an oil tanker exploded and caught fire on Sunday, near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River in central Thailand.

On its way to Bangkok, the tanker Ampar 8 exploded near Phra Chulachomklao Fort of the Royal Thai Navy at 1.50 pm, according to the Boonwipa Rescue Volunteer unit.

At the bow of the ship, there was a huge fire and billowing smoke following the explosion. According to the volunteer unit, one crew member died and others were injured. A total of 14 other people were rescued.

There were firefighting boats dispatched from the navy and the Samut Prakan disaster prevention and mitigation office to put out the fire.

The incident was later confirmed to media outlets by Deputy Transport Minister Atirat Ratanasate.

Apparently, the tanker belongs to the Ayudhya Development Leasing Co. and was transporting approximately 3 million liters of crude oil from Koh Sichang in Chon Buri province to a boat pier in Bangkok.

According to him, the Marine Department teamed up with the Navy to send a boat to evacuate trapped crewmen from the ship to the fort.

The cause of the explosion is currently being investigated.

Oil Tanker Explodes Killing Crewman

The oil tanker fire and explosion is the second incident in just a month. On March 10th an oil tanker moored at a pier in Samut Prakan caught fire after an explosion.

One crewman died and another was seriously injured and was treated at the hospital. Two other men suffered only minor injuries.

The fire and smoke and vapor pollution affected about 200 households in three adjoining communities.

Futures Overview

The price of Brent crude futures rose 1.4% to $120.65 a barrel on Friday following reports of a missile strike and a fire at Saudi Arabia’s state-run oil company Aramco.

Despite a prolonged shutdown of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal damaged by a major storm, and a decline in US crude inventories, Brent crude prices increased 11.8% this week, snapping a two-week losing streak.

In addition, the United States and its allies are discussing the possible release of oil from storage to help stabilize markets roiled by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.