Five crew members were seriously injured in a crankcase explosion that occurred on board the Chinese-flagged bulker Tian Xiang 69 on Tuesday morning, November 4, Weihai News reports.
The explosion occurred while the vessel was sailing 50 nautical miles southeast off Weihai.
The crew has been evacuated by a helicopter to a nearby hospital with the assistance of Beihai Rescue Bureau, a division of the Ministry of Transport.
The cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, as investigation is underway.
According to the vessel tracking data from Marine Traffic the vessel is currently anchored some 6.5 nautical miles off Bindao Island.
World Maritime News Staff; Image credit: facbhyxh