Myanmar: 8 killed as oil vessel catches fire

Yangon: Eight people were killed, three injured, and one is missing after an oil vessel caught fire in southern Myanmar’s Taninthayi Region, according to the local fire service department on Tuesday, October 15.

The incident occurred at 4:34 pm (local time) on Monday at a port in Dawei Township of Taninthayi Region while an oil tanker was refilling another oil storage vessel, and the oil storage vessel caught fire, the department said.

“The fire started yesterday evening and was very intense. It was temporarily put out later that night but reignited due to the vessel being fully loaded with oil. It was completely extinguished early this morning,” an official from the Dawei Fire Service Department told Xinhua on Tuesday.

The deceased included seven males and one female. The injured are two males and one female, and the missing person is a male, he said.

Local rescue organisations, security personnel, and residents also assisted in putting out the fire, which was fully extinguished at 8:33 am local time on Tuesday, the department reported.