Two Crew Members Seriously Injured In Explosion On Tanker At Ireland’s Second Largest Port
On the evening of Tuesday, June 24, an explosion occurred on a chemical tanker docked at Shannon Foynes Port in County Limerick, Ireland, seriously injuring two crew members.
The accident occurred at around 6:30 pm on the chemical tanker “Bo Hercules”. The ship is registered in Norway and operated by Odfjell Tankers. The ship arrived from Purfleet Port near Tilbury Port in the UK earlier in the day.
The explosion was caused by gas cylinders while the crew were carrying out routine maintenance near the lifeboat area of the ship.
The two injured are believed to be between 40 and 60 years old and are from the Philippines. They were working near the explosion site.
Emergency responders including Garda Síochána, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) paramedics, Fire and Rescue personnel and an air ambulance based in Cork rushed to the scene.
One of the men was taken to University Hospital Limerick by ambulance, while the other man, who was in a more serious condition, was taken to University Hospital Cork by helicopter.
Local reports said rescuers were in the area around the Bo Hercules, although there were no obvious signs of distress in the water.
The Cork Air Ambulance, operated by the Health Executive National Ambulance Service, arrived at the port at around 8:15 p.m. and left shortly afterwards with an injured crew member.
Shannon Foynes Port Company confirmed the incident and said the situation on board was safe. Port operations were suspended on Tuesday evening but are expected to resume after safety checks are completed.
The port company also said in a statement that relevant departments are investigating the cause of the explosion.
Preliminary details of the incident are unclear, and a police spokesman said that officers have arrived at the scene to provide medical assistance and treat the injured.
The Bo Hercules is a chemical tanker built in 2017, 183 meters long and with a deadweight of 40,847 tons. At present, the ship remains docked at the port, and safety checks and official investigations are still continuing.
Shannon Foynes is Ireland’s largest general and bulk cargo port. Due to the serious epidemic, port activities were suspended, but authorities have confirmed that the port will resume operations that afternoon.
