Marine

10.9, explosion

Singapore: a shipyard worker was injured in an explosion during welding work on pontoon Orion 1505 in the Pandan Road yard. The explosion ripped off part of the pontoon and sent an Indian worker hurtling into the sea. The man was able to swim ashore and was hospitalised with cuts on his back and head. Sparks from welding were believed to have ignited flammable vapours, setting off the blast. Four other workers, including a safety supervisor, were present at the time. They were not hurt, though one of the two cranes on board the vessel was damaged and part of its stern blown off. An investigation into the incident by the shipyard was under way. All work in the Pandan Road shipyard premises was halted. The explosion came nearly two months after safety officials urged shipyards to review safety procedures. Safety officials were carrying out spot checks of the 89 shipyards in the city-state.