At least three crew members died when a tanker carrying 3.5 million gallons of industrial alcohol exploded and sank about 50 miles off America's Virginia coast, coast guards said today.
The Bow Mariner, a 570-foot tanker flying a Singapore flag, made an emergency call just after 11 p.m. last night, saying there had been an explosion on board, said Petty Officer Stacey Pardini with the Coast Guard's Atlantic area in Portsmouth.
The ship had been headed to Houston from New York with 24 Filipino and three Greek crew members.
Nine crew members have been accounted with 18 missing. One was picked up by a commercial fishing boat and later died, said Coast Guard Senior Chief John Moss.
The explosion occurred about 50 miles east of Chincoteague, Virginia, after a fire started on the deck of the ship, said Lt Chris Shaffer of Ocean City (Maryland) Emergency Services.
"When the rescue divers got on the scene the fuel tanker was on fire, sinking and there was people in the water," Lt Shaffer said.
Three helicopters, three Coast Guard boats and a plane were still searching for survivors early today.
Six men from the ship were taken by helicopter to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, spokeswoman Ms Vicky Gray said. One was in critical condition, two were in serious condition and three were in good condition, she said. All are being treated for hypothermia.
The ship is a chemical tanker, built in 1982 and owned by a Greek company, Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises Ltd. A company spokesman confirmed the ship had a crew of 27 and said "there is no information yet on their fate".
AP