A person died and another got seriously injured in a steam explosion that occurred on board a Japanese ship at the Port of Felixstowe, media report.
The ship was docking at the Trinity Terminal just before midnight. Built in 2015, the 366meters-long Manhattan Bridge has deadweight of 145,500 DWT and is capable of carrying up to 14,000 TEU. Suffolk Police further said the death was not being treated as suspicious. People who live nearby described hearing a loud explosion unlike anything they had heard before.
The ship’s owner said a “boiler back-fire” occurred while the vessel was berthing at 23:05 GMT on Thursday.
“‘K’ Line (Europe) and all within the organization wish to express their condolences to the family of the deceased and their sympathy with the crew of the vessel,” a spokesman said.
Meanwhile, there will be a joint investigation into the accident between the police and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
However, the Port of Felixstowe spokesperson said the incident did not fall under its jurisdiction as the ship met with the accident when it was not alongside the port.
According to the latest update, the vessel remains at the dock in Felixstowe port for safety inspection and repairs.