Published 12:47 IST, October 1st 2019
Dashcam captures terrifying moment South Korean oil tanker explodes
A dashcam video of the terrifying explosion of an oil tanker in South Korea has surfaced online, showing just how huge the blast which took place on Sept 27 was
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A dashcam installed in the rear of a car has captured the terrifying moment of an explosion in South Korea. The footage captured shows a ship full of petroleum going up in flames. The crew members were reportedly rescued in the nick of time, though several sustained injuries. The incident happened on September 27 at around 11 AM local time, as per reports.
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The terrifying explosion
In the video, the ship burst into a plume of flames just off of the shoreline, visible from all around. The fire raised into the sky, first in an apparently random ball before taking the shape of a singular column underneath. The writhing mass of red and orange then changed to acrid black smoke as the petroleum burned up in one massive blaze. The dashcam wasn't the only camera that captured the incident. Reports said that during that time, the locals stopped to watch it happen.
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More visuals and reactions
Many other locals shot the incident on various cameras at various angles. These footages and pictures were shared on social media. Netizens showered words of relief that no one was killed in the fire. There were others who promoted petroleum reduction in favor of more safe and sustainable fuel sources. There were speculations about the possibility of sabotage as well yet there has been no evidence of it.
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Details of the explosion
The Korean authorities are investigating the source of the fire. As per reports, the vessel was carrying high inflammable oil which was ignited in Ulsan, a port city to the southeast of South Korea's capital, Seoul. The tanker was in a berth at Yeompo Quay when it lit up, and the explosion spread the fire to another vessel which was nearby. There was a total of 25 crew members of the tanker who were all foreign nationals, while the other ship had 21 in its crew. As per reports, three foreigners and 9 South Koreans were injured along with six rescue workers. Rest suffered burns and suffocation due to smoke.
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Updated 15:57 IST, October 1st 2019