Relevant authorities are taking measures to safely pump petrol out of a cargo ship that exploded last week in northern port Hai Phong City.

Firefighters work to put out the fire on a ship following an explosion.

The 5,000-tonne ship, containing nearly 4,000cu.m of petrol, unexpectedly exploded on September 21 while petrol was being pumped from the K99 port in Hai An District.

According to initial investigation, the explosion occurred because of petrol leakage in the pumping room of the ship.

The accident injured three sailors and caused some damage. The sailors were brought to hospital for emergency treatment and have recovered. 

The Hai An 16 ship was then quickly isolated to ensure safety. The petrol was pumped to another ship to prevent further explosions.

Some 1,700cu.m of petrol was moved out of the ship as of Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities have warned of another possible explosion on the ship. Vice Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Pham Van Ha requested relevant agencies to quickly pump all the petrol out of the ship. He also asked relevant agencies to take measures to prevent reoccurrence of a similar incident. 

VNS