Two seafarers working on board a chemical tanker were killed while cleaning out tanks on board the vessel during the weekend. The men, one in his 40s and the other in his 70s, were from the Philippines and Spain.
The vessel Key Fighter, controlled by Fjord Shipping of Måløy, is registered in Malta and operated by Sea Tank Chartering AS. The vessel was located around 13 nautical miles off Stadlandet, near Måløy, when the fatal accident occurred.
Details of the accident late Friday night were sketchy, but the Vest Police District reported that the men were working in a tank when they apparently inhaled poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas. Both men were unconscious when found.
An emergency helicopter from Florø was sent to the ship and flew both men to hospital in Ålesund. One died shortly thereafter, the other the next day.
The ship berthed at Måløy, where police questioned crew members. Fjord Shipping reported that no technical defectes were detected and the vessel was cleared for sailing Saturday evening. The seafarers’ wives and children were being flown to Ålesund.
newsinenglish.no staff
