Four dead in explosion in South Korean shipyard

Rescue members search for victims after an explosion at an STX Offshore and Shipbuilding plant in the south-eastern city of Changwon, on Aug 20, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

SEOUL (REUTERS) - An explosion in a shipyard in South Korea owned by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding killed four workers on Sunday (Aug 20), the country's fire department said.

The department did not give the cause of the blast. South Korean media reports said a tank exploded in a ship under construction.

The four men, aged in their 30s to 50s, were painting the ship in the yard in Jinhae, an industrial hub on the country's southeast coast, an official from the National Fire Agency said. "No additional injuries were reported," the official said.

The ship is intended to carry about 74,000 tons of oil, and to be delivered to a Greek buyer in October.

On May 1, a crane collapsed at shipyard of Samsung Heavy Industries, killing six people and injuring more than 20.

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